Bristol Warren construction plan outlines phased work, traffic rules, stormwater upgrades

Project consultants for the Bristol Warren school site presented a phased construction plan Tuesday that they said is designed to separate school activity from contractor work, limit neighborhood traffic and add stormwater treatment at the site.

The plan covers three main phases: a construction period with temporary parking and a new construction entrance, demolition of the existing school, and work on athletic fields and site restoration. Project presenters said Phase 1 runs through May 2027 for substantial completion and that the district will open bids May 30 and seek school committee approval on June 9.

Consultants said the contractor will use a dedicated construction entrance and that all deliveries should come via Medicom. The plan prohibits staging or contractor parking on Chestnut Street and on Naomi and Dartmouth and includes a $250-per-day fine in the contract for contractors who park or stage on those streets. Project staff said contractors also must perform street sweeping and a washdown at the site entrance. "Snap a picture. Let the team know," a project consultant said when describing how residents should report suspected violations.

Noise and work‑hour limits were cited as part of the plan. The presenters referenced Chapter 10, Article 2, Section 10‑35 (weekday noise restriction), and said construction activity cannot start before 7 a.m.; they also said the contract allows work until 9 p.m. in limited circumstances. "If you hear a machine start up before 7, let us know," a staff member said. The presenters added the site typically will be empty most days by about 3:30 p.m., with occasional later concrete pours.

The team outlined temporary parking to limit disruption during construction. To offset the loss of rear parking, the plan calls for 56 temporary spaces in the front circle; presenters said the project will eliminate about 82 spaces in the back but cited prior daytime observations showing 84, 107 and 88 vacant spaces on different days (an average of about 93) as the basis for the temporary layout.

Stormwater measures formed a major part of the presentation. Consultants said the project will add and expand detention basins and install bioretention basins, sand filters and other best‑management practices so that more of the site's impervious area is treated. The presentation cited an increase from 10.5 acres of currently untreated impervious surface to 11.9 acres of treated impervious area; presenters said the site will gain roughly 1,000 cubic yards of additional flood storage (presenters characterized that as roughly 200,000 gallons).

Other site controls discussed included an erosion‑control plan, stormwater pollution prevention during construction, weekly pest‑control baiting during demolition, a new trash compactor for final operation and a separate recycling area for cardboard. Consultants said the district will request video documentation of adjacent properties before work begins as an optional service to homeowners; the documentation would be kept in the project file and provided to owners if they believe construction caused damage.

Presenters said residents may report contractor violations or site concerns via a project email address and that the presentation and related materials will be posted on the district website. The next formal steps named in the presentation were the May 30 bid opening and the school committee review on June 9.

The package discussed tonight focused on logistics, neighborhood impacts and environmental controls; no formal committee vote or ordinance change was recorded in the presentation itself.