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Architects present on‑campus concept for RSU 51 primary school; board presses on parking, traffic and cost
Summary
Design team for RSU 51 presented a concept for a new on‑campus primary school shaped by a tight property boundary and internal campus circulation. Presenters estimated construction costs just over $30 million and said the project could be expanded later; the board asked for traffic, parking and land‑acquisition details ahead of a March vote.
At a regular school board meeting, the RSU 51/MSAD 51 board reviewed a draft concept design for a proposed on‑campus primary school and heard detailed questions about parking, traffic mitigation and project costs.
The design team from Stephen Blatt and Associates outlined a fan/pod building organized so youngest students enter into one‑story wings, with three‑ and four‑classroom pods, central gathering space (the "round room") and flex rooms intended to reduce long corridors. "This is designed for 500 students. It can be expanded to close to 600 students," Stephen Blatt said, describing a staged second‑floor expansion that the team said could be built later without foundation work.
Landscape architect Pat Carroll presented broader campus circulation changes, including reconfiguring the main driveway into split parking areas and separate parent and bus drop‑offs. Carroll said the team is talking with town staff about off‑site improvements on Main Street and Tuttle Road: a roughly 1,000‑foot widening on Main Street to add a dedicated turn lane and potential sidewalk and flashing pedestrian crossings on Tuttle Road. Carroll said the town’s engineer (Bill Shane) believes the Main Street widening may fit within existing right‑of‑way.
Presenters gave parking and service details: about "90‑some" parking spaces would be associated directly with the new school plus additional campus parking, roughly 20 parallel drop‑off spaces near the bus loop and room for several buses to stage. The design includes a small satellite kitchen for warming and serving; all cooking would be done at Mabel Wilson and shuttled to the new building.
Board members asked how loss of a small triangular parcel next to the site (identified as a target for acquisition from a neighbor, Mr. Campbell) would affect the plan. The team said that without acquiring the triangular parcel the plan would need a substantial redesign and could reduce parking and expandability; they also said a two‑story redesign would be possible but would change the scale and feel of the building.
On building systems and program spaces, the team said the gym/phys‑ed area is roughly 3,000 square feet and the cafeteria about 1,500 square feet, with each classroom provided a toilet and direct outdoor access for earliest‑childhood rooms. The presenters recommended a centralized heat‑pump system and urged including air conditioning for comfort and long‑term use. "We feel that the building itself will cost slightly over $30,000,000 in construction," Blatt said; accounting for site work and campus improvements he estimated total project costs would remain under $50,000,000.
District staff said the project would return to the board for a formal vote on the concept on March 18 and that a June referendum is the current high‑level timeline. The board directed staff to continue refining enrollment projections, traffic and sidewalk plans with the towns and to return with more detailed cost and phasing information.
The presentation closed with an outline of next steps: further staff and community meetings, a joint session with town officials and additional outreach before the board is asked to choose between the on‑campus option and an alternate site.
