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Update on Greenwich High School’s Soil Remediation and MISA Construction

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With the end of MISA construction in sight, the harrowing tale of soil and song is coming to a close.

In the midst of controversy, the construction of the Music Instructional Space and Auditorium (MISA) project for Greenwich High School has moved ahead. Much of the Town’s concentration, and consequently gossip, has been fixated on environmental remediation; with school no longer in session, the remediation is in full swing.

Kim Eves, the Director of Communications at Greenwich Public Schools, stated, “The environmental cleanup of the site is being done in phases. This summer (2015) includes the removal of impacted soil near the west parking lot, which will allow repaving and expansion of the west parking lot”.

The expansion of the west parking lot is in accordance with the plans for MISA.

“This planned expansion will improve parking lot congestion and allow for bus traffic to flow through this parking lot,” reported Eves, “the back section of the parking area will be repaved and striped in accordance with plans developed and approved for the MISA project”.

Understandably, with the spotlight on soil remediation, construction of Greenwich High School’s new auditorium and accompanying Music Wing has flown under the radar.

That being said, construction has continued, with the goal of near completion towards the beginning of August.

Vice Chairmen of the Committee Member of MISA, Jacqueline Welsh has been involved with MISA from the start. Recalling how the process has been “many years in the making,” Welsh noted, “There was a lot of work before with Ed Specs to get funding”. However, Welsh stated that they “maintained budget, excluding environmental costs”.

This budget of $28.8 million includes an “Appropriately sized band, choral, orchestra and electronic music classrooms with 11,800 square feet of new classroom space and 9,700 of renovated classroom space,” as well as an “Auditorium [that] will be a new 40,000 square foot building with 1,325 seats and appropriate backstage, lobby and support facilities, [with a] seating capacity at 50%, which will bring GHS to the midpoint of its peer schools,” and finally, “Improved traffic flow and parking lot safety”.

This information, along with the minutes of the Building Committee meetings and other key documents, can be found at www.greenwichschools.org.

However, what these documents lack pictures boast.

“The strips on the wall that are metal have led lights behind them, so they act as host lighting and cast an even glow,” mentioned Laura Erickson, the Board of Education representative on the MISA building committee.

“The wood paneling has an acoustical function” while “behind the light ribbons there is acoustic drapery in the pockets,” reported Welsh, “The Greenwich Symphony toured the site last week. They had a very positive reaction to the space”.

Catwalks scatter the auditorium, hanging above the mezzanine “behind the stage as well as in the front”.

“A lot of things are built off sight, like the railings and catwalk,” Welsh mentioned, “We brought the cat walk in in sections”.

Most importantly, Welsh cited that there will be “Wi-Fi throughout the space with wireless access points”.

Furthermore, MISA has “contracted with a cleaning company for a rough clean and a final clean,” Erickson explained.

According to Welsh, this project was no easy feat; she named “about 70 men on site, each working overtime from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.”.

As stated by Welsh, “the existing auditorium will be taken down, hopefully by the end of summer, before the start of school”.

The surrounding music instructional space boasts “bigger classrooms and support spaces”. “Before, we didn’t have practice rooms,” noted Erickson.

As for the rest of the Greenwich High School, a press release in July noted that, “Site utilities such as storm water collection and detention structures and parking lot lighting, will also be installed”.

Stockpiled soil located between current parking limits and athletic fields #3 and #4 “is suitable for use on site, and is to be used for future remediation activities”. However, the hazardous material will be carried to disposal facilities. According to Eves these facilities, “are permitted by State and Federal regulations to accept the material in accordance with strict safety standards”.

Areas of Greenwich High School not under construction are still safe for use, as they were not impacted.

Under the supervision of AECOM, a consultant of the Town’s Department of Public Works, Clean Harbors has been working on the project. Furthermore, both the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the US Environmental Protection Agency are involved in oversight.

As for summer activity at Greenwich High School, “there are no student or staff programs scheduled at the high school this summer”. Furthermore, Eves reports, “Activities will wrap up by August 26th, to allow fall sports and school activities to be resumed as normal”. As for summer football practices, “which begins on August 17, will be accommodated”.

The Greenwich Public Schools/Board of Education, the Town of Greenwich and the GHS-MISA Building Committee continue to work with regulators to finalize remediation plans for the site with no set schedule in sight.

Originally passed in Spring 2011, MISA passed with an allocated budget of approximately $17 million. However, upon the discovery of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), heavy metals, and other dangerous containments during excavation for the auditorium, the cost of MISA skyrocketed, covering these unexpected soil conditions. These samples, taken near Fields #3 and #4, revealed PCB levels high above acceptable standards for both residential and commercial use determined by State and National Environmental Agencies. The costs of MISA have gone up to $46.1 million.

Understandably, residents were equally perplexed and concerned.

Further investigation supposed the dumping of PCBs at Greenwich High School before 1979, marking the illegality of the use and manufacturing of PCBs by the federal government. However, there was still much controversy over this claim, supposing that the dumping happened in more recent history. The PCBs assumingly came from the old New Haven Railroad power plant in Cos Cob.

Many residents called for increased government transparency, as students had been living and learning over toxic waste.

Tackling this heated history, the Greenwich Public Schools/Board of Education, the Town of Greenwich and the GHS-MISA Building Committee have been working with both private and public professionals to create a safer school, while continuing with the construction of the new auditorium.

The end of construction, as well as environmental remediation, to the joy of students and parents alike, is near.

 

 

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