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Farmington commission sends HVAC and ventilation upgrades for four elementary schools to Town Council
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Summary
The planning commission voted to send a positive Connecticut General Statute 8-24 referral to the Town Council supporting HVAC and ventilation upgrades at Noah Wallace, Union, East Farms and West District Elementary Schools, with construction estimates and a proposed four‑year schedule starting next summer.
The Town of Farmington Plan & Zoning Commission voted to send a positive referral to the Town Council supporting a package of ventilation and HVAC upgrades for four K–4 elementary schools.
Sam Kilpatrick, director of school facilities for Farmington Schools, told the commission the projects would install dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning at Noah Wallace, Union, East Farms and West District elementary schools. He said the work is part of the district’s capital request and would likely be presented to voters as a single referendum question that lists each school and cost separately.
Kilpatrick gave schematic cost estimates: $2,817,780 for East Farms, $4,335,583 for Noah Wallace, $3,639,749 for Union and $3,546,040 for West District. He said the plan anticipates doing one school per year starting next summer and that electrical and some natural gas service upgrades will be required at the buildings.
“Each school is really a dual system,” Kilpatrick said, describing rooftop DOAS units to bring filtered, tempered, dehumidified outside air into classrooms and VRF condenser units to provide cooling on warmer days.
Commissioners asked whether the DOAS units would warm incoming air in winter. Kilpatrick said tempering coils inside the DOAS will either recover heat from outgoing air or warm/cool as needed so the commission would not be introducing raw outside temperatures into classrooms.
The commission pressed on order and financing; Kilpatrick explained the commission will present the package as one bonding question with line-item costs per school rather than separate yes/no votes for each building. West District was identified as the first school to be addressed because earlier cafeteria air‑conditioning work had been completed at the other three schools.
After questions, Commissioner Phil Caddaro moved to send a positive referral to the Town Council in support of the ventilation upgrades; another commissioner seconded the motion and the commission voted in favor. “Motion carries,” the chair pro tem announced.
Next steps: the referral will go to the Town Council for consideration and any state grant coordination will proceed as outlined by school facilities staff.
