Porter’s Point renovation moves forward; DRB hearing set, bid schedule outlined

Colchester School District administrators gave a facilities update on June 3 detailing progress on the Porter’s Point School renovation funded by the district bond.

Administrators said the district is focusing the renovation work on Porter’s Point School. The district has posted for a clerk of the works position to help manage the project. The planning team submitted a site plan to the Development Review Board (DRB); the DRB will hold an initial meeting the morning after the board meeting and a final DRB hearing for the Porter’s Point project is scheduled for July 9 at 7 p.m. The DRB has until Aug. 23 to issue a final decision.

Architects and staff showed a site schematic with a reconfigured parking and circulation plan intended to separate bus and family-car flows, reduce vehicle stacking on the main road, and add a sidewalk and small waiting area to improve drop-off safety. The plan locates a new addition, including a gym, and preserves preschool and K–2 playground adjacency; administrators noted the design allows flexible playground use when supervision permits. The parking lot as shown provides approximately 90 spaces to reduce on-street parking on Lupine Drive.

Administrators summarized the permitting and bid schedule: prequalified general contractors will be approved to receive bid documents at the June 17 board meeting; shortlisted contractors will have until Sept. 11 to submit bids; the board will select a general contractor at its Sept. 16 meeting, following statutory procurement rules. A traffic study was completed May 28; a general permit application is due June 4. Staff said they would provide the traffic-study results to board members who requested them; John Helmergarten and planning consultants are coordinating with the DRB.

Administrators also described landscaping and site revisions under development and encouraged at least one board member to attend the July 9 DRB hearing; they asked board members to notify staff if more than three plan to attend because of open-meeting rules. The administrators said they will bring prequalification results and reference information for potential bidders to the June 17 meeting and will train the board on selecting a contractor under the new law prior to the September selection vote.

In related news, district communications staff were recognized for their bond outreach: the communications team received the National School Public Relations Association’s 2025 Golden Achievement Award for its bond communications plan.