Schematic Design Milestone -- and Time to Get Active Again!

On Friday, August 19, the proposed school building project achieved a significant milestone. The school building project team -- Mount Vernon Group, KV Associates, the school building committee and the Duxbury Public Schools department -- submitted a package of schematic designs and supporting documentation to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. This package included:

• Project Overview
• Traffic Analysis
• Environmental and Existing Building Assessment
• Geotech/Geoenvironmental Analysis
• Program Analysis (Final Design Program)
• Code Analysis
• Utility Analysis
• Massing Analysis
• MA-CHPS Scorecard
• Certification Letter for MA-CHPS
• ADA Accessibility
• Design Narratives for Structural, Plumbing, HVAC, Fire Protection, Electrical, Information Technology
• Outline Specifications (8-1/2x11)
• Room Data Sheets
• Schematic Drawings for Siting Analysis, Site Development Plans, Building Floor and Roof Plans, Building Exterior Elevations, Interior Elevations of Typical Classroom and Science Lab, Plumbing (major equipment and primary distribution only), HVAC (major equipment and riser diagrams only), Sprinkler (major equipment and standpipes only), Electrical (major equipment and riser diagrams only), Information Technology (major equipment and riser diagrams only)
• Preliminary life cycle cost analyis for Plumbing and HVAC
• Construction Cost Estimate
• District's Anticipated Reimbursement Rate with Incentive Points
• Project Budget
• Updated design work plan
• Project Schedule
• Value Engineering Opportunities

This represents a significant step forward in the project -- not to mention a significant amount of work. And the designer was chosen only at the end of April, less than four months ago!

A copy of this submission set is available to the public for review at the library.

The next step is for additional estimating to take place, and for the SBC and designer to prepare for a special town meeting and election (dates to be determined) to appropriate construction funds, including presentations to town committees and community groups. The MSBA board must also approve the submission, and will vote on it at their September 28 board meeting; the school building project team has been working closely with the MSBA in the process of preparing this submission.


If funds are approved this fall at Town Meeting and Town Election, the design will be completed and bid by late spring. Construction would commence in June.


DuxburyCARES would like to take this opportunity to say BRAVO! and THANK YOU! to the building project team that pulled this together. The work you have done on behalf of Duxbury's students -- and Duxbury as a whole -- is noted and appreciated.

This is also the time for members of the community to get active again. It's time to get busy and get talking to make sure this project passes at Town Meeting and Town Election. We cannot be complacent, make any assumptions about passage of the project, or take any vote for granted. We must all educate ourselves and our neighbors so that this proposed building project moves from proposal to reality -- for our children and future generations of children to come.

We'll start to be more active here, and on Facebook and Twitter to help keep the community informed. Please email us at DuxburyCARES@gmail.com to learn how you can help.