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FAIRFIELD, Conn. The future of Riverfield School and its 400-plus students is now in the hands of seven Fairfield volunteers, with more to join them soon.
The Board of Selectmen named the first members of the Riverfield School Building Committee on Wednesday evening. The group will see the school through a potential $10.9 million expansion over the next three years.
Weve all been patiently waiting as parents and the Board of Ed to go through this process, said Board of Education chair Pamela Iacono, a Riverfield parent. Were optimistic and hopeful that this will actually become a reality.
Riverfield School currently has an enrollment of 419 students. The capacity for the original building is 399. The district makes up the difference with five portable classrooms, which have been on campus since 1995.
The school boards plan would add a new wing with about 11,000 square feet. It would include five new classrooms, plus extra space for special education programs, storage and other needs.
The project will also upgrade the existing school building and add more space to the all-purpose room by moving the schools stage to the gymnasium. Fairfield also plans to make the school comply with the Americans With Disabilities Acts standards and add more ventilation to improve air quality.
But Philip Cerrone, the architect hired to do the towns initial estimates, said these are preliminary plans. The new committee will make the decisions as to what the final project will cover. A lot more work needs to go into this plan, Cerrone said.
The newly formed Riverfield Building Committee will make sure that the project is finished within its budget. Its also tasked with approving the specific designs of the new construction and making sure it meets certain green initiatives and proven building methods.
The selectmen appointed seven members Wednesday night but plan to add at least two more to increase oversight on the project. The seven members named need Representative Town Meeting approval before they begin work.
Some of the appointees have direct construction experience, such as Dan Graziadei, a project manager with ConEdison; Christine Messina, an attorney focusing on construction law; and environmental engineer Scott Thompson. Others are there for the financial work, such as former CEO Tom Quinn, accountant Maureen Sawyer and Information Technology experts John Shaffer and Lawrence Ratner.
Theres a really great mix of experience here, said selectman Cristin McCarthy Vahey. I think that thats important.
The Board of Educations early estimates say the project will cost about $10.9 million to finish. But the town will not vote on the actual cost until May 2013. If the building committee stays on its proposed schedule, the new wing will be ready for the 2015-16 school year.
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