Town reviews schematic for new Highrest Elementary swing school on Kesha Farm

Wethersfield planning staff and consultants presented schematic designs on June 2 for a proposed 50,000-square-foot elementary 'swing' school on the town-owned Kesha Farm site at Highland Street and Collier, intended to house roughly 400 students while other elementary schools are renovated.

Michael Scott of TSKP Studio, the project architect, said the new building would feature a single secure public entry, a dedicated bus loop off Highland that empties onto Collier, a separate car drop-off loop, a preschool wing with an enclosed courtyard and programmatic separation so the gym and media center can be used by the public outside school hours. The team described the building as largely one story with a two-story portion where site topography changes, and the design includes an accessible lower field level reached by elevator.

Scott said the design intentionally minimizes impervious surface and that the project team is conducting a traffic analysis; he estimated the parking count would be in the 70–100 space range but said the exact number would be determined by the traffic analysis and site plan process. The architect also said the project is expected to be bid toward the end of the year and estimated construction at roughly 18 months once contracted.

Commissioners pressed several site- and community-impact issues: potential spillover parking on Kier Road when fields are used, whether sidewalks will be added along Collier (the current design does not propose a sidewalk on the east side), arrival/dismissal interactions between this swing school and the existing Highrest (which would remain occupied during early years), and circulation conflicts where multiple driveways are proposed on Highland. Members requested a focused traffic study to model arrival/dismissal peaks and to propose mitigation such as staged bell times or reconfigured bus/car circulation.

The commission also discussed security and emergency planning; Scott said the schematic provides multiple means of egress, a secure vestibule for visitor screening, and that the team will continue coordination with first responders. Commissioners asked about state school-construction rules: the consultant explained grant constraints tie allowable square footage to projected headcount, and the state-funded program contemplates demolition of the old Highrest school after an eight-year return-to-stability period as part of the funding conditions.

Several commissioners suggested attention to playground accessibility, off-site lighting, HVAC/noise studies for rooftop equipment and how to label and program the gym/assembly area to maximize state reimbursement eligibility. Scott said the team will pursue inland-wetlands input and precise grading/stormwater plans before a formal application and that some land merging with an adjacent town parcel may be required to satisfy queuing and fire access.

The presentation was informational (a pre-application); next steps are additional coordination with town staff and technical studies, followed by a formal combined site-plan and special-permit application. The project team also announced a public meeting on June 8 at 7 p.m. at Wethersfield High School where the public may hear much of the same material and offer comment.