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Northborough committee issues construction change directive to allow night drainage work amid an estimated $896,000 premium
Summary
The Northborough Fire Station Building Committee approved a construction change directive letting the contractor order long-lead drainage structures while a proposed change order (PCO19) — currently estimated at about $896,000 — is negotiated; the work will require roughly 54 nights of night work on Route 20 and planning-board approval for extended site staging.
The Northborough Fire Station Building Committee on March 25 authorized a construction change directive (CCD) that allows the contractor to order long-lead drainage structures tied to a proposed change order for relocating drainage into Route 20 and performing the pipe crossing and tie-in at night.
The CCD was approved so the contractor can procure concrete detention/manhole structures while the project team continues to negotiate a final price for proposed change order PCO19. The project team said the latest revision of the PCO arrived the day before the meeting and that the current working estimate discussed at the meeting was about $896,000 (the packet showed revisions under review). The CCD does not lock in a final change-order price; it only authorizes materials ordering to avoid schedule delay.
Why it matters: the Route 20 tie-in requires work in the state right-of-way, and MassDOT’s permit requires much of the roadway work to be done at night. The night-work requirement, together with traffic control and police-detail premiums, materially increased the contractor’s cost estimate compared with daytime work or alternative routing. Committee members raised concerns about neighborhood impacts — lighting, backup alarms and overnight staging — and asked staff to take the request to the planning board for approval of extended staging and overnight access.
Project context and key details: the committee heard that road/drainage work is expected to start on or around April 15 and is anticipated to need about 54 nights of work between approximately 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. The drainage route was shifted so the pipe runs in the Route 20 corridor and outfall through an easement near the Dunkin Donuts driveway to a brook; MassDOT and on-site constraints led design staff to this routing after a year of permitting discussions.
On the record: when asked where the western concrete tank/structure sits, Todd (project representative) described the crossing as running “in the street just outside the sidewalk” and then into an easement toward the brook behind Dunkin Donuts. The committee noted that some nights will require multiple police details and that night rates are higher.
Next steps: the committee approved the CCD by voice vote and directed staff to present the overnight-staging and extended-hours plan to the planning board. Staff will continue negotiating final pricing for PCO19 with the contractor and bring a formal change order back to the committee when terms are settled.
