Select Board members spent the bulk of their Nov. 12 meeting on options for the Pollard Middle School project, reviewing seven feasibility sketches that differ in grade configuration, phasing and whether the town would build on the existing Pollard site or on DeFazio Field.

The board invited Hank Haft, Director of Building Design and Construction, and Merrill Nissler, Senior Project Manager for Building Design and Construction, to summarize preliminary findings and outstanding questions. "This is feasibility, so we're very high level here," the project team said, stressing that the presentations were intended to inform cost estimates and identify technical constraints rather than produce final recommendations.

Why it matters: The project affects multiple town priorities — school capacity, construction cost and timing, athletic fields and town infrastructure budgets — and will shape decisions that affect both short-term construction disruption and long-term debt service.

What presenters told the board

- Traffic and parking: Consultants have analyzed current traffic (including nights and weekends) and are mapping trip generation for different program options. All new-construction options shown carry a 750-seat auditorium; zoning rules create a baseline parking obligation of roughly one space per three seats (about 250 spaces) and a separate full-time-equivalent staffing calculation (about 260 spots), meaning the town will need shared-parking strategies or other mitigation to reconcile school and field use.

- Stormwater and wetlands: Presenters said stormwater work is at a feasibility level and that infiltration opportunities at the occupied Pollard site are limited. Wetland scientists revised delineations, altering the buildable footprint at some options. The team cautioned that certain DeFazio scenarios could trigger a MEPA review while building on Pollard likely would not because of existing impervious area credits.

- Reimbursement and costs: The team warned that demolition and certain temporary accommodations may not be reimbursable by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) if the new building is sited off the existing Pollard campus. "Demolition would be included in the project cost. It will not be recognized by MSBA since it's a different site," the presenters said, noting that cost differences matter when comparing options.

- Swing space and temporary needs: Several board members pressed the team about temporary swing space if Pollard is rebuilt while Mitchell and other projects proceed. The presenters said some scenarios would require modular classrooms or other temporary structures that could be expensive and unreimbursable; the team estimated large temporary accommodations in some cases could approach figures cited for temporary solutions (one planning example cited ~$40 million for an extensive temporary structure). Board members asked whether less expensive, shorter-term swing strategies might be feasible.

Board questions and next steps

Members pressed the team on zoning relief needs (FAR and site‑coverage relief were discussed for taller/new options), noise mitigation near the tracks (triple‑pane glazing and sound buffering were cited), and how sewer piping under the existing Pollard building complicates replacement options.

Presenters invited the public and board members to review models and attend upcoming events: tours and model displays the following Saturday, a public hearing on Nov. 17 (a listening session attended by PBBC and the school committee), and an all-boards summit Nov. 24 to refine selection.

What’s next: The School Building Committee and town staff will continue studies (traffic, stormwater, cost estimation) and present refined recommendations at public meetings. The project team emphasized that the board's later capital decisions will need to account for MSBA reimbursements, unreimbursable demolition or modular costs, and potential debt-service impacts on the town's FY27 capital priorities.

Provenance: Topic introduced at SEG 401 and discussed through SEG 1514 (presentations, Q&A, and next steps).