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Resident warns excluding Keisha Farm from school site options risks referendum; building committee sets timeline for a September vote
Summary
A resident urged reconsideration of the proposed swing-school site and warned that excluding Keisha Farm and related transparency issues could undermine the planned school-construction referendum. The school building advisory committee said TSKP presented a tentative schedule aiming for a September 23 referendum.
A resident raised strong objections at the Wethersfield Board of Education's March 11 meeting to the consultant's site-selection work for a proposed school-construction referendum, urging the board and building committee to reconsider excluding Keisha Farm from further study.
The resident, identified in the public-comment record by address, said the consultant had earlier described Keisha Farm as a "big flat site with good access" and questioned why it was effectively removed from consideration. The commenter said excluding the property and failing to engage transparently with the public and with historic-preservation authorities risks litigation, delays and a failed referendum, and may add long-term costs to the town.
At the same meeting the advisory school building committee reported progress on project planning. Committee members said the architectural firm TSKP presented a tentative schedule that would allow the board to receive a presentation in late April and to place a referendum before voters on Sept. 23, 2025, if the schedule holds.
TSKP's preliminary concepts discussed by the committee include a proposed new Hamner School sited on the Stillman property, a renovation of Webb School reconfigured for grades 5-6 that would include an auditorium renovation, and renovation work at Charles Wright. The committee said TSKP plans an exploratory meeting with the Historic District Commission to clarify any requirements related to building on the Stillman/Charles Wright site.
The public comment reflected community concern about process and the siting choice. The resident urged clearer transparency about consultant contacts and possible conflicts of interest, and warned that selecting a site perceived as constrained by roads, parking and limited outdoor play area could provoke organized opposition before a referendum.
Committee members said meeting recordings and minutes would be posted and that dates for further public presentations will be posted on the building committee's website and in committee materials. No formal site-selection decision was made at the March 11 meeting; the committee described the TSKP work as preliminary and exploratory.
