$380,000 city appropriation funds feasibility study for Barrie school; Article 97 and wetlands prompt alternate‑site review
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Summary
The Chicopee City Council unanimously approved a $380,000 mayoral appropriation to fund a feasibility study for the Barrie school, and district officials told the School Committee on April 2 that Article 97 parkland protections and wetland soils at the current site are prompting study of alternate sites.
A mayoral appropriation of $380,000 to fund a feasibility study for the Barrie school was unanimously approved by the Chicopee City Council, a School Committee member reported at the school committee’s April 2 meeting. The committee heard that the feasibility work must assess the current Barrie site and evaluate alternatives because of legal and environmental constraints.
A committee member said city staff and the project team told the council the parcel potentially identified for a replacement building is affected by Article 97 protections and by extensive wetland soils. Under Article 97 — the constitutional provision that protects certain conservation and parklands in Massachusetts — converting designated parkland to another use requires additional legislative steps and identifying replacement parkland. Committee members said those requirements, combined with observed wetland soils that reduce the developable area, led the project team to examine alternate locations, including the Sotelo school campus.
Superintendent Doctor Ware told the committee the review of the current site must be thorough to satisfy the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) review steps; he said the district is completing year two of a seven‑year project and that the timeline is expected to remain on schedule despite the alternative‑site work. The committee member who reported the appropriation said the council’s vote was unanimous and that project stakeholders — including the building commission chair, the city project manager and the project architect — presented rationale to the council during the hearing.
The appropriation will fund a feasibility study and site investigation to determine whether the Barrie site can be used or if an alternate site will be required. Committee members emphasized that if Article 97 constraints apply, the city would need to identify replacement parkland, which can itself be difficult and could complicate development at the Barrie parcel.
Ending: The committee did not take a formal vote on the appropriation (the City Council approved it). District officials said they will continue site evaluation work under MSBA requirements and report back to the committee as the feasibility work proceeds.