Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Referendum Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Architect lays out phased timeline for Hopewell Valley referendum projects, roofs and HVAC earliest priorities
Summary
District architect outlined a preliminary timeline after last month’s referendum: summer 2026 roofing at three schools, phased 2027 renovations including HVAC with long lead times (40+ weeks for major equipment), and public bidding and agency reviews to follow.
The board heard a detailed, preliminary timeline for capital projects approved by voters in the recent referendum.
Dan Scatone of the district’s architect firm (speaker 12) said immediate work will focus on design and engineering, public bidding and agency reviews. "The first round of roofing at these 3 schools — the high school, Timberlane and Stony Brook — are summer projects of 2026," Scatone said, adding that additional roofing and renovation rounds are planned for 2027 and will include HVAC units, ADA bathroom work, drainage improvements and pavement restoration.
Scatone warned of long equipment lead times for major mechanical systems — "switch gears, electrical switch gears or chillers are 40 to 50 plus weeks" — and said phasing will try to minimize impacts to school operations, with cordoned construction zones and safety plans for egress. The architect also explained that bidding will follow public‑bidding law and award the lowest price from qualified bidders, and that agency review periods can extend timelines.
Board finance discussion clarified how referendum funds are managed: savings on some bids are set aside to cover potential overruns elsewhere in the $80‑plus million program; any remaining balance at project close will be returned to taxpayers over a multi‑year schedule.
