Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Daycare Modular Engineering topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
School committee asks town to appropriate $100,000 to study modular classrooms for Rockland Daycare
Summary
The Rockland School Committee voted to request that the town appropriate roughly $100,000 to pay for full engineering drawings and permitting work to evaluate placing a six-classroom modular building at the Esten Early Childhood Center to house Rockland Daycare, which faces a wait list of more than 100 families.
Speaker 5 told the school committee on Aug. 19 that the district is asking the committee to request the town appropriate about $100,000 for full engineering services to develop permitting-ready drawings and bid documents for a possible six-classroom modular building at the Esten Early Childhood Center to house Rockland Daycare.
"So the request before you tonight is a request ... the school committee to request, from the town a $100,000 for engineering services for the potential, placement of a, a module classroom at the Esten School," Speaker 5 said. The presenter described the funding as the next step after a $7,500 preliminary site-plan study the daycare would front from its revolving account.
The presentation laid out the district's rationale: Rockland Daycare currently rents six classrooms and an office from the town, serves about 80 families (54 Rockland residents and 26 non-resident employees), employs 16 staff members and maintains "a wait list of over 100 families," Speaker 5 said. With no available classroom space in existing district buildings, district staff identified a grassy pad at Esten as a possible location for a modular structure.
Speaker 5 gave a rough capital range for a purchased modular building and site work of $1.5 million to $2 million, noting this is preliminary and does not yet include final paving, fences or playground work. An initial site-plan consultant engagement was described as approximately $7,500; the larger $100,000 figure would fund full engineering drawings required for permitting, utility hookups (water, sewer, electricity), and bid-ready specifications.
Committee members pressed on capacity, ownership and payment structure. "So in the 6 classrooms, are we projecting any growth, or is it to maintain status quo?" Speaker 4 asked. Presenters said the plan is to replicate current capacity (six classrooms and one office) while noting the building could be made larger if the town and district chose to expand. The district also said it could contribute roughly $50,000 annually toward debt service if the town were to bond or otherwise finance construction, or continue paying rent if the town owns the building.
Speakers discussed permitting issues, possible variances, parking and drop-off configurations, playground access, fencing and the likelihood that the final cost estimate will rise once paving and site improvements are included. Presenters emphasized the daycare is managed through a revolving fund—user fees rather than general-tax revenue—and that preliminary work can proceed only after lease negotiations with the town are completed.
After extended discussion, Speaker 3 moved to request that the town appropriate approximately $100,000 for the next phase of engineering services; Speaker 1 seconded and the committee voted in favor. The motion directs district leadership to ask the town at its next opportunity to include the appropriation for engineering work necessary for permitting and bidding.
Next steps outlined by presenters include completing lease negotiations for offsite recreation space (the VFW Parkway lease discussed by the town), signing a contract for the full engineering site plan if the town moves forward, and returning to the committee with definitive cost and permitting information. The committee did not set a construction schedule; presenters said the daycare will remain open during planning and emphasized the district's intent to avoid service interruption.
