AMHERST — A need to complete new traffic impact studies and examine adding solar and geothermal systems are increasing the costs of a feasibility study for a new elementary school to more than $1 million.
After the Town Council authorized borrowing $750,000 to pay for consulting work in February 2020 as a required part of the Massachusetts School Building Authority process, councilors unanimously agreed Monday to take an additional $280,000 from the town’s free cash account to cover the anticipated additional expenses for the feasibility study.
Amherst has $4.28 million available in the free cash account.
Anser Advisory, as owner project manager, and DiNisco Design, as architect, are advising town officials of the need for the added spending, though they will use work by previous consultants related to the failed project from 2017 that would have constructed a $66.37 million twin elementary school on the Wildwood Elementary School site on Strong Street. That feasibility study also cost $1 million.
“We expected that the study of the Wildwood site, which was approved by Town Meeting, and the subsequent Fort River study would reduce the work needed for this planning and designing stage. However, there was more additional work needed,” reads a memo in support of the spending from Finance Committee Chairman Andy Steinberg. Steinberg, who is also an at-large councilor, was the lone councilor absent for the vote, with all others voting in favor of the additional spending.
The main elements new to the feasibility study are the traffic studies and the need to investigate and anticipate growth impacts on neighborhoods at both the Wildwood site and the Fort River Elementary site on South East Street. A decision by the Elementary School Building Committee on which location to proceed with has yet to be made.
Previously, only the Wildwood site had been examined, and that was done several years ago and is considered out of date, according to a letter to the council from Town Manager Paul Bockelman.
Whichever site is chosen, the new school is expected to be designed for 575 students, from kindergarten through grade 5, with sixth graders moving to the Amherst Regional Middle School in the fall of 2023.
With net-zero energy use rules for municipal buildings also in place, solar and geotechnical feasibility studies have to be done for the project.
During a public hearing before the vote, there were no comments from the public about the spending. Finance Director Sean Mangano told councilors that there was high urgency to have the money so the project can proceed.
Under the current timeline, Mangano said, the Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion override vote for the project is likely to go before voters in March or April 2023.
Other potential feasibility study costs that are new to the price tag include additional permitting services that could be needed should the Fort River site be chosen, largely due to the prevalence of wetlands and a sensitive habitat; getting an estimate for hazardous materials in the existing buildings and associated abatements; and putting in a contingency for schematic designs and other costs.


