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Consultants outline PDP deliverables, space summary rules and site constraints for Salem High project
Summary
Design team briefed the committee on the PDP deliverables (educational program, space summary, existing-conditions evaluation) and flagged key site constraints — wetlands and local buffer rules, an easement restricting structures, MassDOT-controlled Highland Ave access, and MSBA grossing-factor limits that influence project cost.
Consultants leading the Salem High preliminary design program told the committee the PDP will include the educational program, an initial space summary (net square footage by space type), an evaluation of existing conditions and a preliminary evaluation of alternatives including renovation, addition or new construction.
Speaker 3 summarized the PDP: “That’s a preliminary design program... the feasibility study is broken into 2 phases, the PDP and the PSR.” The team said the space summary must list net square footage of each room and that the MSBA will apply a grossing factor (consultant used 1.5 as the example) when determining reimbursable area. Speaker 3 described the practical effect: “you have to program it — put it in the net — so it counts.”
On site constraints, engineering consultants flagged wetlands, ledge and an existing utility easement that prevents buildings and significant grade changes. Speaker 8 noted parts of Highland Ave are a MassDOT road and any new or modified access there must be approved by the state. Consultants also stressed stormwater resiliency and potential MIPA (Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act) triggers: projects that create five or more acres of new impervious area or disturb 25 acres could enter a separate permitting track.
Consultants urged the committee to prioritize which specialized spaces (CTE, large arts rooms, custodial/workshop space) must be in the net so they appear in the space summary and influence the gross square footage and cost estimates. They also recommended producing a clear existing-conditions slide package for community review (photo-driven) so residents can see the building needs.
