Friday May 27, 2011

North Adams Transcript

WILLIAMSTOWN — The Williamstown Youth Center project has cleared three more hurdles, as officials of the organization push to have everything ready in time for an early October groundbreaking.

The Williamstown School Committee unanimously approved the project plan, maintenance reserve endowment fund, and facade elements — which will mirror some aspects of the elementary school’s exterior — Thursday night. The proposed new Williamstown Youth Center will be built on the elementary school grounds.

The approvals satisfy the requirements the Youth Center needs to meet in order to negotiate a lease agreement with the Williamstown School Committee.

The lease agreement is the last piece of a request for proposal for a new youth center facility issued by the School Committee in 2008.

“We’ve moved from an idea of a youth center to what is really a youth center on these grounds,” Paul Jennings, president of the Williamstown Youth Center board of directors, said.

Jennings and David A. Rempell, executive director of the Youth Center, presented the School Committee with financial information about project funding, and the organization’s projected revenues and expenses in the coming years.

“This project is on very solid financial footing,” Jennings said.

Over $3.8 million has been raised to put toward the design, permitting and construction for this project. There are also sufficient funds to cover all the costs associated with the capital campaign, he said.

As part of the request for proposal, the Williamstown Youth Center needed to establish — and fund annually — an endowment for upkeep of the building.

Rempell said the Youth Center currently has $225,000 in the bank, and plans to put $50,000 into the maintenance endowment fund as soon as it’s created.

Over the next 20 years beginning in 2012, the organization plans to allocate 3 percent — or $9,000 to $10,000 — a year of its gross revenue to the fund, he said. A pledge of $100,000, which will be distributed in annual $25,000 payments between 2014 and 2017, is also earmarked for the maintenance fund, he said.

The endowment is projected to grow to $519,000 by 2032, which is roughly when the building’s roof and heating, ventilation and air conditioning system would need to be replaced, he said.

The remainder of what the Youth Center currently has saved would be split between a maintenance operating reserve fund and paying the interest on financing for the project, he said.

Click on the images below to see the new renderings from Black River Design.

To the editor of The Advocate:

On Saturday, April 3, the Williamstown Youth Center facilitated a car wash to raise money for its “Together We Can” campaign to build a new youth center on the grounds of the Williamstown Elementary School.

The youth center would like to thank Michael’s Restaurant and Cumberland Farms on Main Street for the use of their facilities, Jim Whittum and M. Ellen Erickson for providing lunch and Henry Smith and Lisa Jennings for coordinating the participation of students from Buxton and Mount Greylock Regional High schools, respectively. Also, a huge thank you to Sue Wells for coordinating the participation of the students from Pine Cobble School and for helping to coordinate the entire event.

Of course, the fundraiser could not have taken place without the enthusiastic participation of the students from the three schools: Olivia Ellard, Talia Goldwasser, Derrob Hagy-Weatherbee, Evan Sanders, Tara Shastri, Sam Swoap, Hannah Witter, Elaine Iwanicki, Hannah Merrill, Slater Payne, Annika Wells, Emma Whittum, Sean Finnegan, David Hamilton, Caile Holland, Sid Smith, Rachel Swoap, Giselle Lora, Angelica Hilliman and Hazaiah Tompkins.

Thank you for supporting the “Together We Can” campaign.

David Rempell

Williamstown

04:36PM / Friday, May 20, 2011 – IBerkshires.com

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Williamstown Youth Center announced that its “Together We Can” capital campaign to build a new center on the grounds of the Williamstown Elementary School has raised $3.8 million in cash and pledges. Officials thank everyone for their support.

Center staff and members plan to march in the Memorial Day Parade with a new banner that proclaims, “TOGETHER WE DID.”  All children and community members are invited to join in the march to celebrate the success of this community initiative.

David Rempell, executive director, said the intent is to begin construction in October of this year and complete the new facility by summer 2012. Having the Youth Center immediately behind the Williamstown Elementary School will present incredible opportunities for our children and families, he said, and will make Williamstown an even more desirable place to live.

For those would still like to donate or make a pledge, and wish to be included on the “wall of honor” with more than 1,000 other contributors, send a contribution to the Williamstown Youth Center, 270 Cole Avenue, Williamstown, MA 01267, by Memorial Day, May 30, 2011.

By Andy McKeever iBerkshires Staff Friday, May 20, 2011

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Building a new Youth Center hit its first stumbling block Thursday when the Zoning Board of Appeals continued the special permit hearing for another month.

The hearing was suspended because the board had concerns over water drainage, construction worker parking and the hours of construction.

The center’s engineering firm will have to readdress those issues. Project engineer Charlie LaBatt said it would not delay the construction.

The biggest issue was drainage; particularly with a pipe that drains water from the south parking lot to the western part of Chris Winter’s property on Church Street.

Winters said that there were no drainage issues before the new school was built, but that the land around the pipes have been eroding since.

“I think [the plan] can be better,” Winters said.

A drainage pipe on the east of his land is set to be repaired by the town but the west still poses a problem.

LaBatt, an engineer with Guntlow Associates who is planning the project, said while the plans increase the volume,  other improvements will make the drainage flow neutral. Winter’s concern was addressed somewhat by LaBatt redesigning some drainage to School Street after last week’s Planning Board meeting.

“I’m trying to make it neutral in all ways,” LaBatt said.

The drainage was supposed to remain the same when the new school was built but improving the infrastructure made the system more efficient, LaBatt said.

The board felt the problem should be addressed but also said it was unfair to make the youth center pay for the school’s problems. A fair agreement is hoped to be reached at the next meeting.

“I think we need to do something to address Mr. Winter’s concerns,” Chairman Andrew Hoar said.

Additionally, the board debated if it actually had the authority to demand the upgrades.

While the youth center is a new construction, the board is actually amending the special permit for the school. The center needs to amend the special permit issued to the elementary school in regards to impervious surfaces. Because of the zoning district, only 15 percent of the total land can be impervious without a special permit. Currently 27 percent of the land is impervious and that percentage will increase with the Youth Center.

LaBatt said he could likely find a way to eliminate additional volume to that drain, but it would increase the volumes to other drains. Fixing the entire problem will come at added expenses to the Youth Center.

The board sent the engineers back to the drawing board to readdress the drainage as best as the firm could, and to create a runoff plan for the construction period – which is mandated in the new bylaws.

The board also wanted more specifics about parking for the construction workers. The workers will not be using the parking lots but instead parking in the fields by the construction site, LaBatt said. If there is not sufficient room, a shuttle will be used to bring the workers to the site.

The board requested more exact figures on the number of workers and vehicles and if a shuttle system is needed.

The board also recommended specific hours for the construction work. According to LaBatt the construction is expected to take six months after an October groundbreaking. The board voiced concerns about the safety of the students and noise.

LaBatt said he expected workers to be on the property from 7:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., but the board wanted specific, set hours, suggesting 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.