Wellington School Building Committee Minutes

WELLINGTON SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE
MINUTES
April 27, 2011
School Administration Building Conference Room
7:30 AM

Meeting #123
Committee Members Attending: John Bowe, Patricia Brusch, Laurie Graham, Mary McHugh, Ike Papadopoulos, Lucy Pullen, Heidi Sawyer

Absent: Joe Barrell, Mark Haley, Bill Lovallo, Joel Mooney, Eric Smith

Liaisons Attending: Amy Wagner

Design Team Consultants Attending:
Architect: Jonathan Levi, Jonathan Levi Associates (JLA)

Clerk: Chris Kochem

Pat Brusch, Vice, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:35 a.m.

Wellington School Playgrounds
Pat Brusch summarized the discussion of the previous WBC meeting of April 20, 2011 regarding the selection of playground colors and asked Heidi Sawyer to give a summary of the playground colors that Ms. Sawyer had presented at a WBC meeting last fall. Ms. Sawyer noted that the amount of space available for these playgrounds is small so the WBC needs to be respectful in selecting color choices so that they work for the neighborhood. If the playground colors for this playground are too bright, the colors will be a distraction, particularly to the neighbors. 
                
Ms. Sawyer gave information and showed pictures of the Belmont playgrounds manufactured by GameTime or similar companies along with a few that are in Watertown. She noted that they are all 9-14 years old and that it is important to recognize that some colors, particularly red, tend to fade with time. The colors that have faded the least are the green (Grove St., 10 years old) and Rock Meadow – hunter green and tan. Town Field is 13 years old and is done in hunter green, gold, and yellow. Both the red in the Underwood Playground and the Chenery Middle School Playgrounds have faded to pink. The PQ playground is 12 years old and the red plastic equipment has begun to fade.

She noted that the tentative color options that were selected at the April 20 meeting were:
·    Upper School Playground - Spring Green for metal posts and rails, Green for the plastic equipment and Blue decks 
·    Lower School Playground - Butterscotch for metal posts and rails, Red for the plastic equipment, Brown decks

Based on the playground research that Ms. Sawyer has done, she recommended that the posts and railing be a different color or shade as is the case in most of the other playgrounds and she and others prefer this look. She recommended a blue Lower School Playground and a green Upper School Playground. She said the Upper School Playground will be more visible from School Street and should be the green, which is the more subdued of the two colors. 

Mr. Levi said that he likes the green color options for the upper school playground but that he does not like the blue color options for the lower school playground. He prefers the butterscotch for the lower school playground, but is willing to agree with the blue choice if the color of the asphalt base play surface for the lower school is done in green, rather than black.

Rubberized Play Surface
Ms. Sawyer expressed preference for a blue rubberized surface with black flecks for both playgrounds. Mr. Levi's preference is for a solid green rubberized surface. After discussion, Mr. Levi and the committee agreed that both playground surfaces will be green with black flecks.

Asphalt Base Play Surface 
Mr. Levi proposed that the asphalt base play surface for the lower school play area be done in a dark green, rather than black, and that the proposed geometric shapes be outlined in white. Heidi Sawyer and Lucy Pullen said that their recollection from earlier meetings about this topic was that the surface color would be black and that the geometric shapes would be painted in with a variety of colors (i.e. the blue triangle, the red circle). There was agreement among committee members regarding the recollections of Ms. Sawyer and Ms. Pullen. Further discussion on this topic will take place at the next WBC meeting on May 4. 

John Bowe made a motion to approve the following color schemes for the primary and upper school playgrounds. Ike Papadopoulos seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved. 
Lower School playground, on the Orchard Street side of the school
Plastics – blue
Posts – metallic
Railings – sky blue
Decking – brown
Rubber surface – green with black flecks

Upper School playground, on the School Street side of the school
Plastics - green
Posts – metallic
Railings – spring green
Decking – brown
Rubber surface – green with black flecks

Construction Change Directive
Mr. Levi reported that Bulletin 152 was issued as a CCD and relates to the automatic light control units in the building. The lighting is designed so that the lights will only go on if the room is too dark. The bulletin is for light switch signs, which state "automatic light control - please save energy by not turning on the light" and will be placed in each classroom and support room. Heidi Sawyer asked how these light switch signs will be attached to the wall. JLA will do more research and report back to the committee.

Approval of Minutes 
Laurie Graham made a motion to approve the WBC minutes of March 23, 2011 and April 11, 2011. Lucy Pullen seconded the motion. The vote was six in favor and one abstention. 

Lucy Pullen made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 a.m. The motion was seconded by Pat Brusch and unanimously approved.

Respectfully submitted,

Lucy Pullen
Secretary