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High school construction project introduced at straw poll

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FARMINGTON – Members of the public were on hand Wednesday evening to get their first look at a proposed site plan for the new Mt. Blue High School. After the introduction,  they unanimously showed their support for the concept through a straw poll vote.

The vote on the nonbinding straw poll, a step mandated by the state Department of Education, was 32 in favor of the site plan with no opposition.

Over the past year and half the high school building committee and consultants from the Portland firm PDT Architects have been in discussions with the DOE on what the new facility would look like. The new high school, if approved by the voters, is tentatively scheduled for a 2010 completion date, replacing a building constructed in 1969.

The site plan includes little movement of the building itself, which would be partially torn down to make way for a more up-to-date facility. However, it does call for the installation of more parking, more athletic fields and the acquisition of another 12.5 adjacent acres of land.

The estimated cost for the site preparation alone is believed to be between $6.5 to $8.5 million. If approved by local voters, the vast bulk of the entire project’s cost would be borne by state.

That land, a triangular plot to the west of the school campus along the Whittier Road, would provide space for water and sewage pumps. Currently, the school uses wells and a overboard discharge sewage treatment system that work independently from the town’s systems.

That style of utility, Architect Lyndon Keck noted, was currently out of favor at the Department of Environmental Protection. The pump system on the acquired land would allow the high school to tie itself in with the Route 2&4 pipe system. Additionally, new storm water regulations, created since 1969, can also be satisfied with the extra land.

Keck said that the current fields are in poor shape, having been originally constructed below current standards and worn down from constant use over four decades. The new high school site plan calls for six fields, up from the current four, and a new track for athletic events. That track, dubbed a “fat track” would encircle a full-size field usable for football or soccer. One of the fields, for practice only, would be located several hundred yards south of the school and be accessible through current cross-country trails.

Keck also said that the fields would be torn up and replaced over time throughout the construction process. Despite this phased development process, Keck said that athletic programs at the high school could expect some inconvenience.

“It will be hard to maintain sports programs while this is going on,” he noted.

Although floor plans for the building are being developed now, the building committee has not released any specific ideas at this time. Keck did say that the new facility would likely be 30 percent larger than the current one, consisting of both new and old elements.

“Our intention is to keep parts of the old facility that make sense and work with the overall plan for the school,” Keck said.

He suggested, for instance, that the Foster Regional Applied Technology Center would be folded into the high school portion, rather than the two institutions rather separate natures on the current campus. Keck and his firm are also looking into green technological options for the school. More detailed floor plans are expected within the next two months.

Superintendent Michael Cormier said that the project represented a unique opportunity to replace an aging facility without using exclusively local money. If approved by voters at referendum, the state would pay for 90 to 95 percent of the multi-million dollar project.

“This is an incredible opportunity to replace a 40-year-old building,” Cormier said. He also noted that the funding for the project was already allocated into bond issues and that the state’s current economic woes were unlikely to affect the project’s funding.

In October, the state announced that both the Mallett School and high school projects, both in Farmington, would be delayed, by six months and year respectively, due to recent financial developments. Cormier and Assistant Superintendent Susan Pratt welcomed the news, saying that the extra “breathing room” was helpful for the district’s projects.

The DOE will review the results of the straw poll later this month. Keck said he hoped that the planning portion of the project would be complete in May or June 2009.

Architect Lyndon Keck explains the renovation plans at a public meeting held Wednesday night.

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