TOPSHAM
Residents within the four towns that send students to Mt. Ararat High School are invited to attend public meetings next month about the renovation or replacement project that has been keeping school officials and their architects busy in recent months.
School Administrative District 75 is hosting four public meetings in September regarding the statefunded project to renovate or replace Mt. Ararat High School. The meetings will include a presentation of the status of the project and an open forum to be held four times at the following locations. The public is urged to attend any one of the events:
— Sept. 17, Bowdoin Central School
— Sept. 22, Harpswell Community School
— Sept. 23, Bowdoinham Community School
— Sept. 30, Mt. Ararat High School, Topsham
All take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The architect SAD 75 contracted with for the project, PDT, has been busy over the last several months conducting the new compared with renovation analysis. That analysis should be provided to the building committee at its meeting Wednesday, according to a press release issued by Superintendent Brad Smith. The committee has been receiving updates throughout the process, and will have the opportunity to review the recommendation, which will be provided based upon the analysis of the current structure and site. It will be reviewed by the committee and shared with the Maine Department of Education.
“We encourage the public to attend one of these four meetings,” said Smith. “Input from the public is critical to the success of the project, and will be reviewed by the building committee and architectural firm. PDT, our architectural firm, has conducted a thorough analysis of both the current structure, and the present location of the high school. The initial reports have included the location of vernal pools, which impact potential locations of the project. The architects and building committee are presently evaluating possible plans to keep the high school on the present campus.”
The “ New vs. Reno Analysis” is Step 5 in a multi-step process developed by the DOE. This 21- step process includes two straw votes of the public. The first straw vote focuses on the site of the project. The second straw vote includes the building concept.
A referendum would then be held based on the outcome of both straw votes. This would likely occur late fall of 2016.
Throughout the process, there are key steps, including four different approvals by the Maine Board of Education.
Smith noted that a project of this scope, particularly a high school project, “is a significant one for all the stakeholders. These meetings in September will provide the opportunity for our communities to continue to provide input.”
The building committee will meet Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Mt. Ararat Middle School in the Learning Commons. In addition to the public meetings and the study, the committee has on its docket findings of the Phase 1 environmental site analysis; findings of hazardous materials survey of the existing building and will discuss the process for the committee’s next steps.
Project updates are posted on the district website at www.link75.org or visit construction. link75.org.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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