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Mountview School Building Project
Green Engineering Charette Meeting Minutes
August 21, 2012
6PM Mountview Middle School
Present: Gary Kaczmarek, OPM, Mike Pagano, LPA, Matt Brassard, Brassard Design & Engineering, Site Planners, Erik Githmark, Principal, Mountview School/MSBC, Carrie Havey, The Green Engineer, Nancy Galkowski, Town Manager/MSBC, Jacquie Kelly, Assistant Town Manager/MSBC, Margaret Watson, MSBC/School Committee, Kevin Seaman, Seaman Engineering, Elizabeth Helder, Recording Secretary
1. Green Engineer Charette
Mr. Pagano introduced Carrie Havey, Project Engineer with the Green Engineer, LLP, a green building design consulting firm. The benefits of a green school include a healthy, productive learning environment, improved teacher retention, financial savings hands on learning, while being friendly to the environment. While incremental costs are 1.5 to 2.4% higher to build green, green building benefits are up to 8 times higher over a 20 year period. Mr. Pagano said that the Building Committee unanimously voted on August 14, 2012 to build a MA-CHPS green building.
MA-CHPS = Massachusetts Collaborative for High Performance Schools green certification program. The program has been tailored for MA schools to design a green building and incorporate green policies in the whole building (green building + green teaching + green cleaning, etc.). He said the MA-CHPS process is very straightforward. The client picks the objectives or “points” the project wants to achieve and the project is built to those standards.
Ms. Havey discussed green goals for the MA-CHPS project; some goals are required and some are optional. Points are earned for completing various green requirements; reimbursement eligibility is achieved by reaching certain point levels. Ms. Havey reviewed the MA-CHPS Project Checklist Matrix, which lists areas where points can be achieved. They included Integration and Innovation, Indoor Environmental Quality, Energy, Water, Site, Materials & Waste Management, and Operations & Maintenance. For a new construction project, a minimum of MA-CHPS 40 verified eligibility points are required for minimum reimbursement. 50 points achieve 2% financing. For a renovation project, a minimum of MA-CHPS 35 verified points are required for minimum reimbursement. 45 MA-CHPS points achieve a 2% financing. It is important to keep a 5-point contingency for each building option.
Mr. Seaman said that it would be possible with some reconfiguration/upgrades to reuse the air-handlers on the roof. The cost to conduct a 30-year Life Cycle was unknown. Ms. Havey said she would investigate an answer. Mr. Kaczmarek said he felt that it was a good selling point for the building to achieve this standard. The installation of a school garden was discussed. Mr. Githmark said he has seen these gardens turn into beds of weeds after 5-years; they require volunteer maintenance, which during the summer months is difficult. The possibility of turning the garden into a community garden for the food pantry was discussed. Other discussion centered around green energy options. Mr. White said it would be foolish not to consider renewable energy for the project. This type of energy can
range from LED lighting, photo voltaic, or geothermal. Mr. White said the project said it should strive as much as possible to achieve as many points in this category as possible. Mr. Pagano cautioned that any number of points is achievable if enough money is spent. Mr. Sherman said that as much foresight the Committee can have towards incorporating renewable energy into the design can only benefit the building in the future.
Mr. Sherman said the District has an aggressive energy management system program which has helped reduce millions from the schools buildings to date. He felt the criteria would be easy to achieve.
Mr. Pagano said that most of the playing fields, whether under a new construction or renovated plan would be unusable during construction and would have to be rebuilt/landscaped.
A MA-CHPS scorecard will be submitted to the MSBA in the PSR by September 15th. However the final report not be finished until the schematic design is filed in December.
2. New Business
The Committee agreed to meet at Mountview School for the September 5th meeting.
3. Adjournment
Motion by Dave White, seconded by Chris Lucchesi, it was UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 7:55PM.
APPROVED:
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