District contractor outlines referendum project schedule; community input meetings set

Conor O'Brien of Legacy Construction told the Watchung Borough Board of Education on Dec. 19 that stakeholder meetings are starting for two referendum projects — the Valley View Outdoor Learning Commons and a new multipurpose field — and that the district will schedule subsequent community input sessions.

The update said some summer work remains active: HVAC upgrades are ongoing and the district expects the chiller‑system portion to be completed in spring 2025 because the work requires systems to remain active through winter. Bayberry School projects (media center, art room, front office and toilet room work) are in close‑out with remaining warranty items to be addressed as they emerge.

"We are starting to meet with the stakeholders for the two additional projects," O'Brien said, describing an immediate schedule of internal stakeholder coordination followed by public meetings. He said procurement for major equipment is complete and that remaining work is primarily scheduling and warranty follow‑up.

Board members and administrators discussed logistics: punch‑list items remain for Valley View and a small number of HVAC units are yet to be installed, but day‑to‑day on‑site work for the contractor ceased Nov. 30. The operations and finance committee reported that the district will continue to track change orders, payment applications and outstanding punch‑list work as projects move toward final close‑out.

The district plans to post stakeholder and community‑input meeting details on its website and to keep the public informed as timelines firm up. No new contract awards or budget adjustments were approved at the meeting.

The board’s operations committee will continue oversight of close‑out, change orders and final payments as the district prepares for further work in the coming months.