Mayor Warren released this letter today…
To those interested in the Cabot School Building Project,
Since I became Mayor in 2010, I have been committed to advancing our long range school building facilities plan and our school building projects by following 3 guiding principles:
Ensuring the safety of our children,
Providing the breadth of programming for which Newton is known, and
Completing our school capital projects on time and on budget.
This commitment is evident in the results of the F.A. Day project, the Carr swing space renovation, and the Angier and Zervas new Elementary School buildings. My commitment to Cabot is no different!!
As a result of the vote taken by the Cabot School Building Committee last night, I have reached out to Jack McCarthy, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority. In my conversation with him, Jack explained that this is not the first time that a community has decided to revisit their design. In fact, he informed me that several other communities have gone through this process.
Additionally, Jack asked me to pass along his commitment to seeing the Cabot School project through, and most importantly has assured me that this reevaluation of the proposed design will not jeopardize the City’s position with the MSBA.
I understand and share some of the concerns about the process and I am 100% committed to ensuring that this project moves forward meeting all of the necessary benchmarks to enable the newly renovated Cabot School to open as soon as possible.
Very truly yours,
Setti D. Warren
Mayor
And this letter was released by Sandra Guryan & Dori Zaleznik:
To those interested in the Cabot School Building Project,
As you know, a few months ago the City Council approved funding to acquire the property at 23 Parkview Avenue. While the acquisition of that property greatly enhanced options for site circulation, traffic flow, and student drop-off and pick-up, it also offered an opportunity to relook at previous site plans and building layouts. Therefore, the Cabot School Building Committee met last evening, May 5 and approved the following motion:
“to pause the further development of the preferred alternative approved on April 5, 2016 for four weeks in order to determine if an alternative configuration using more of the north side of the site can be developed, including time and cost estimates, and incorporating the continuing priorities written in the meeting announcement for the meeting tonight on May 5, 2016.
The new Cabot School must meet the approved educational program,
The portion of Parkview Avenue from the school to Cabot St. will be permanently closed,
The students and staff of Cabot will move to the Carr School as planned in the fall of 2017 and will not spend longer in the old Cabot building than previously anticipated,
School and City officials will make certain that we are not compromising our work with the
Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) nor their commitment of funds to the
Cabot project, and
The circulation plan advanced on April 5 will still be used.”
As a result of this vote, Mayor Warren has reached out to Jack McCarthy, Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Mr. McCarthy confirmed his commitment to seeing the Cabot School project through, and most importantly has assured the Mayor that this reevaluation of the proposed
design will not jeopardize the City’s position with the MSBA.
A meeting of the Cabot School Building Committee has been scheduled for Thursday, June 2, at 6:00 pm (location to be determined) in order to allow the architect to present a new schematic design which meets all of the aforementioned criteria. Following the presentation and public comment on that evening, the CSBC will take a final vote to determine which design will be sent forward to the City Council for site plan approval.
We look forward to working with the City Council, the School Committee, the School Department, parents, and the community as we expeditiously work through this process to provide the best Cabot School for our children and our community.
Sandra Guryan & Dori Zaleznik
Cabot School Building Committee, Co-Chairs
Sandra Guryan and Dori Zaleznik owe the Cabot community an explanation of why alternatives are not being considered until months after the Potter purchase. These alternatives should have been evaluated already.
This was a delay that could have been avoided. We deserve to know who is responsible for this failure in basic contingency planning.
I received a different email from the Mayor that included his three guiding principles:
The first 2 are no brainer, so focus on the third guiding principle:
1. Ensuring the safety of our children,
2. Providing the breadth of programming for which Newton is known
*3 Completing our school capital projects on time and on budget.
A reminder that I’m hosting office hours today at Bread & Chocolate in Newton Highlands from 10am to noon. Happy to discuss the City Council’s role in the Cabot approval process with citizens who want to meet me there. I’m also going to host an outdoor office hours at Cabot during pick-up, which I will advertise beforehand.
One quick point before I run out the door to save some seats at Bread & Chocolate:
The City Council should support whichever decision the CSBC makes in 4 weeks. I am only one of 24, but councilors have influence on ward matters with their colleagues and I’m putting my political capital into an assurance that this 4-week pause will not dilate into second-guessing due to the specter of the city council. I believe it’s important to make that assurance public insofar as it helps the CSBC deliberate on the merits instead of on the politics of the design.
Very important clarification needed from the mayor/city building officials: his letter says the June 2 vote will be a final decision between the current approved plan (Plan A) and the “new” plan (Plan B). This is incorrect.
On June 2, Plan B will be a set of basic design sketches and a cost/time estimate. The vote, according to the motion approved on Thursday night, will be to choose Plan A or pursue the design process for Plan B. We do not yet know how long it would take to actually get Plan B ready for public and Committee consideration, and in turn prepared for a City Council vote and MSBA submission.
@Jake
In case you missed it on the other thread: your constituents want to know where you personally stand on Cabot. Would you have voted for the 4 week delay? If the answer is no, THAT’s where we want you to put your political capital.