Pollard schematic redesign moves auditorium into Phase 1; committee approves $75,000 for environmental testing as sustainability options advance

Architects from HMFH presented a revised schematic for the Pollard School on Feb. 9, 2026, shifting the auditorium, gym and several ancillary spaces into Phase 1 while leaving the sixth-grade wing for Phase 2. The change reduces the project’s measured average building height (design team cited an advertised average near 51 feet, under the 60-foot threshold) and is intended to lower cost and complexity in later phases while preserving key program elements for students during construction.

The design team said moving the auditorium and associated programmatic spaces into Phase 1 makes the project more compact, lowers the building profile and creates options for phasing that limit disruption to school operations. Matt LaRue of HMFH and his colleagues showed how wings were re-located on the north side of the hub to keep only the sixth-grade wing in Phase 2. They noted the model and site-plan overlays still require adjustments (for example, the sixth-grade footprint currently overlays the soccer field in the presentation), which HMFH said they will correct in the next update.

Committee members pressed the team on construction timing and site impacts. The team said they are targeting mobilization by the end of June for Phase 1 activities and that substantial demolition and foundation work would be concentrated in a summer window to reduce disruption during the school year. The team confirmed existing building demolition and work within the existing footprint will be deferred until Phase 2.

Neighborhood traffic and bus routing drew sustained discussion. Project staff said full-size buses will replace smaller vans for many routes, and the team estimated up to 17 full-size buses will be required in peak operations. Committee members and residents expressed concern about narrow neighborhood streets and potential winter/snow complications; the design team suggested staggering bus arrivals and exploring circulation adjustments but cautioned that alternatives such as routing through a heavily wooded “Paper Street” would require tree removal and could delay the project. A neighborhood meeting was noted as scheduled to address local concerns.

Sustainability was a major thread of the presentation. The design and sustainability leads summarized results from early workshops and reported three priority goals: making the school a sustainability-focused learning environment; designing for flexibility and future expansion; and maximizing daylighting and indoor environmental quality. The team said they are targeting ground-source heat pumps (a 500-ton system was cited as an order-of-magnitude scale), rooftop and canopy solar, and are investigating battery storage primarily for peak shaving and resilience. They advised registering under the current LEED framework (LEED v4) before v5 requirements take effect on July 1, 2026, to preserve flexibility; HMFH noted v5 adds mandatory prerequisites (including enhanced energy-efficiency points and reduced embodied carbon targets).

On project funding and risk, the team discussed how federal direct-pay tax credits and utility incentives could materially affect life-cycle cost calculations for ground-source systems, but cautioned that realization of tax credits and rebates is administratively complex and not guaranteed until payments are received. The design team said some sustainability features—particularly canopy solar—are frequently cut during cost reviews, so they will carry canopy solar as a separate, alternate line item in cost estimates.

Given the work needed for wetlands delineation, tree assessment, geotechnical exploration (including liquefaction analysis) and other environmental tasks, HMFH requested a $75,000 change order for additional services. Chair Richard Kreen moved the change order; after committee discussion the SBC approved the $75,000 HMFH change order by roll call. The committee also approved HMFH invoices for January 2026 services (an $85,000 invoice and $19,210.96 for consultants, total $104,210.96) and a Yvo Hill invoice for Dec. 2025 services for $29,770, all by roll-call votes.

What’s next: HMFH and town staff said they will update the site plan graphics to reflect the revised phasing and correct overlays, continue work with MSBA (including an MSBA board meeting scheduled Feb. 25 to advance the project into schematic design), complete the environmental testing funded by the approved change order, and hold neighborhood outreach on bus routing and staging. The SBC noted a follow-up sustainability workshop planned for April and continuing coordination with the town’s energy and permitting stakeholders.

Representative quotes from the meeting included praise from a user representative on the library project that also mirrored community sentiment for Pollard: "This project has been seamless and wonderful from the start...if we have to wait a month or so in order to open one of the most fantastic team rooms in a public library in the Commonwealth, that's a sacrifice we're willing to make." The design team also emphasized the trade-offs between ambitious sustainability features and the town’s near-term budget constraints.

Timing and procedural notes: the Pollard presentation and sustainability discussion occurred during the concurrent SBC portion of the evening; the MSBA process, zoning hearings and town meeting funding authorization still lie ahead.