Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Waterbury officials outline Willoughby High football-field renovation plan; drainage, turf and bleachers among priorities
Summary
District staff presented a plan to authorize design and construction for roughly two acres of improvements at Willoughby High School including site regrading, storm drainage, possible turf, bleachers and lighting. Commissioners emphasized drainage, multiuse play and committee involvement in design.
District staff asked the Waterbury Board of Education on Nov. 6 to authorize the Waterbury Development Corporation (WDC) to manage design and construction for renovations to the Willoughby High School football field.
"So what we want to do is we want to do a site improvement, do some regrading, site utility work, storm drainage, and do some landscaping, maybe some new bleachers and lighting," staff said, describing a roughly two-acre project intended to fix chronic water problems and make the field reliably playable.
The project plan calls for hiring a civil engineer to produce design documents, issuing an RFP for design services, then bidding construction work. Staff said the work will focus first on making the field operational after rain through improved subsurface drainage and grading; the turf-versus-grass decision will be made based on bid alternates and budget.
Commissioners highlighted maintenance history and multiuse needs. "I would second what Commissioner Horst has said about considering the turf field. I know it will cost us more upfront, but I think it should be considered," Commissioner Vanstone said, urging consideration of low-maintenance turf and multi-sport use. Commissioners also asked that the district involve the building committee as a liaison during schematic and design phases.
In response, staff said they expect the district and contractors to work transparently during schematic design and to include alternates for amenities such as scoreboards and bleachers if budget allows. Presenters said the project is funded by a grant; in discussion they referenced "DEEP," and noted that the district will solicit bids for both design and construction.
No final funding decision or vote on the authorization letter was recorded in the meeting transcript excerpt. The board asked staff to return with corrected documents (a misspelling of "high school" was pointed out) and confirmed the district's intent to engage committees in design review.
If the board later authorizes formal project documents, staff said the immediate priority will be subsurface drainage and grading to make the field usable after rain.
