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Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee Minutes 3/27/2013
Salem State University Neighborhood Advisory Committee
March 27, 2013 – Minutes
6:00pm - SSU Central Campus - Enterprise Center Training Room B

Attendees:      Maureen Call, Dave Coleman, Jason Doviak, Jack Hoar, Adria Leach, Dominick Pangallo, Shawn Newton, Joseph O’Keefe, and Jim Rose   

Absent:         Marcia Lambert, Robert McCarthy, and Josh Turiel

Guests:         Joe Berry & Hemant Khaneja (Lee Kennedy Co., Inc.), Sean Cassidy (EFI Global), Mark Swingle (Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance), Beth Bower, Karen Cady, Scott James, Gene Labonte & Tom Torello (Salem State University)

DOMINICK PANGALLO INTRODUCTION
  • Councillor Joseph O’Keefe introduced Dominick Pangallo to the committee. Mr. Pangallo is Mayor Kimberley Driscoll’s new Chief Administrative Aide and will be the chair of the SSUNAC committee.
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
  • Library/Learning Commons Update – Joe Berry
  • The contractor continues with interior finishes. Landscaping is scheduled to start in the beginning of April, and the contractor will to be ready to move furniture in this June.
  • Phase II Deconstruction – Joe Berry
  • Mr. Berry presented graphics of the site of the existing library building and walked the committee through the process of deconstruction.
  • Mobilization and scaffolding will begin in early April. Scaffolding and planking will be installed over the sidewalk on Lafayette Street for pedestrian protection.
  • Trucks will travel in and out of College Drive at Lafayette Street but may also exit campus onto Loring Avenue. A police detail will be on site to assist with truck traffic at Lafayette Street.
  • Major deconstruction work is expected to begin in mid to late May, pending EPA approval.
  • The contractor explained that the cantilevered areas of the building facing Lafayette Street and Meier Hall will be the first to be deconstructed for safety reasons. From that point the building will be deconstructed from the interior of campus to Lafayette Street (west to east).The front areas that are deconstructed first will be enclosed during the remainder of the deconstruction.
  • Dust and vibration monitoring will be used continuously throughout the work.
  • The building is expected to be completely deconstructed in the fall of 2013.
  • Work will take place Monday through Friday, during normal working hours of 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Off-hour work is not anticipated at this time but will be coordinated with the university.
  • Environmental Consultant
  • Mr. Berry introduced the project’s environmental consultant and the deconstruction project’s lead designer, Sean Cassidy of EFI Global.
  • Mr. Cassidy explained that there will be a field person on site throughout the project for oversight, and he will continue to be the lead for environmental aspects of the project.
  • Mr. Berry will continue to attend committee meetings to provide updates on the deconstruction, and the university will keep neighbors aware of progress through the neighborhood email blast and the website.
  • Questions/Comments
  • What is the method of demolition? – The work plan is not completely defined, but the process is expected to be similar to Phase I.
  • Where is the debris being hauled out to? – The work plan is not completely finalized, and they are negotiating the off-load site. The location of this site will impact the route and number of trucks coming to campus each day.
  • Will this create a lot of noise? – Deconstruction is not a quiet process, but the contractor will do their best to be considerate of their surroundings throughout the work. Councillor O’Keefe noted that he did not receive any noise complaints during Phase I.
What will the footprint of the library be used for in the future? – The contractor is required to bring the building down to grade and will install new sidewalks connecting to Meier Hall and the new library and learning commons along with landscaping. The university will advise the committee and the neighborhood of plans for that space when they develop.
  • Fitness & Recreation Center Addition
  • The project manager for the fitness center was not able to make the meeting. Adria Leach provided an update.
  • Weather has delayed concrete slab placements, which were originally scheduled to start earlier in the week. The first placement is scheduled for tomorrow. The remaining two should take place next week, weather permitting.
  • Roofing and curtain wall installation is underway, and the building is expected to be completely enclosed by June.
  • National Grid has begun the work to relocate an electrical pole on the neighborhood side of Atlantic Avenue and install a pole on the university side of Atlantic Avenue. The contractor plans to complete the trench work for the electrical connection from the O’Keefe parking lot to the new pole on Atlantic Avenue starting next week once the pole is in place. It is expected that the street will remain open to traffic during the work. A police detail will be on site through this process.
ISSUES IN PROGRESS
  • Neighborhood Disturbances
  • No complaints were reported to committee members.
  • Alumni Field Lights
  • The technician found that the lights are directed the way there were intended to light the field. The manufacturer is returning at night, when the snow melts, to see if there is a way to adjust the lights so that they shine more directly on the field and away from neighboring homes while maintaining the required lighting on the field for safe use.
NEW BUSINESS
  • Master Vision – Adria Leach
  • The university heard neighbors’ requests for an overall vision for campus development. The university is working with the Division of Capital Asset Management and Sasaki Associates on a campus master vision for the university that will layout our physical needs through the year 2040, keeping in mind how we fit into the neighborhood.
  • Sasaki will present concepts for this vision to the SSUNAC at April 17 meeting.
  • Campus Planning – 1 Year Look Ahead
  • Residence Halls – Scott James
  • The news of a new residence hall on campus came out earlier than expected in the local newspapers. An RFP for a designer was issued by the Massachusetts State College Building Authority as part of normal procedure and caught the media’s attention before the university knew the RFP was out. The university apologizes for any confusion around the announcement.
  • This facility is part of the university’s long-term goal of becoming 50 percent residential. There is an increasing percentage of first-year students requesting on campus housing and the university is working to meet this demand and bring more of our students onto campus. Currently 33 percent of Salem State undergraduate students live in residence halls on campus.
  • The new facility is expected to contain 300-350 beds and open in 2015.Two potential locations have been identified but no determinations have been made at this time. The RFP asks that the designer look at where the university’s Campus Police Station is located on Central Campus and in the area of the student parking lot near Peabody Hall on North Campus.
  • Modular Housing – Scott James
  • The university is investigating the possibility of using temporary modular housing to meet demand for freshman housing. The project is expected to be three stories and house 100 beds. The housing would be part of a 3-5 year lease.
  • The project involves minimal construction on site. The location under investigation is in the lower level of parking Lot A next to the old library building, behind Peabody Hall. There will be a net loss of only 7 or 8 spots once the old library comes down.
  • Meier Hall Science labs – Adria
  • There will be renovations made to four biology labs in Meier Hall this summer. All work will be interior.
  • Mainstage Theatre – Adria
  • The university is also moving forward with plans for the renovation of the Maintstage Theatre into the Sophia Gordon Center for Performing Arts. The project is in design development, and there will be a presentation to the SSUNAC later this year. The building will maintain the same footprint.  Construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2014 with anticipated completion in 2015.
  • The university will continue to update the neighborhood through the SSUNAC meetings, their neighborhood email blast and the website.
  • Questions/Comments
  • Is there an update on the Horace Mann School?
  • No decisions have been made about changing the use of Horace Mann from a public elementary school. The city is relying on this building, and there are no immediate changes planned for the building.
  • Please take past projects and neighborhood feedback into consideration when planning new projects.
  • The university has shared a list of common abutter concerns with Sasaki for the master vision project and will share the same list with their building partners to be shared with architects of new projects.
  • A member expressed concern regarding adding more pedestrian traffic to the intersection at Loring Avenue and Raymond Road.
  • The city plans to make changes to that intersection this year as part of the study completed by the city and the university. They will also be looking at the lights at the intersection of Loring Avenue, Lafayette Street, and West Street.
  • Concern was expressed about pedestrians crossing Loring Avenue from the parking lot at the former Weir property to Central Campus.
  • Students are not utilizing the cross walk.
  • Councillor O’Keefe requested that the university look into a fence or other form of mitigation to address this issue.
DEFERRED ITEMS
  • Raymond Road Traffic Study
  • Dunkin Donuts Window Treatment Meier Hall
  • Off-Campus Parking Update
  • Tobacco Free Campus
MEETING SCHEDULE
  • The next meeting of the SSUNAC will be on Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at 6:00 p.m. in the Enterprise Center Training Room B located on Central Campus at 121 Loring Avenue.