Daniel Garte, project architect of Dietz & Company Architects in Springfield, explains the overall proposed plan for the new Westfield Senior Center during a meeting yesterday with the Westfield Senior Center Building Committee. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
WESTFIELD – The Senior Center Building Committee set an ambitious timeline yesterday afternoon to finalize the design of the facility to be constructed on Noble Street.
Thet process appeared to be stuck in heavy traffic, speeding one second and screeching to a near halt the next, as issues were raised that will significantly affect the final design and cost, which may define if the center is a sleek sports car or a boxy underpowered subcompact.
Members of the committee discussed the proposed design with Frank Kennedy and Tim Singleton of Diversified Project Management of Newton, the city’s project manager, and with two architects from two firms working in collaboration. Dietz & Company Architects of Springfield is teaming up with Courtstreet Architects of Newton, which has designed several senior centers constructed recently in the state.
Singleton said that because the city is now in control of the former Mary Noble estate, the design can move forward quickly if decisions about that process are also made quickly. Singleton said that test pits were excavated to determine types of soil on the site, information needed to design the foundation and support structures for the proposed two-story building.
Singleton said that no hazardous materials were found, but that further research is needed to determine if Mary Noble’s house was heated by oil and if there was an underground tank.
“There was no evidence of oil contamination found in the test pits, but we’ll have to try to find out if the house has oil and where it (the tank) was located,” Singleton said. “As we get closer to construction we’ll do more test borings.”
Architect Dan Garte of Dietz said that the test pits also provided information about the groundwater table, which is a little more than eight feet deep at the site.
Members of the Westfield Senior Center Building Committee listen to a presentation of the newly proposed Westfield Senior Center. Included in the meeting were members of the architectural company and city officials.. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
“So if a basement is something you’re still thinking about, the groundwater does not preclude putting in a basement,” Garte said, adding that there would be additional construction costs for construction of a basement and to protect it against groundwater seepage.
Other foundation options discussed were a slab alternative to the basement foundation or a combination of a slab with a partial foundation.
Garte raised the issue of where the building footprint would be placed on the property because the building committee has charged the architects with preserving several large, decades old, trees.
Joe Rizza, of Courtstreet Architects, who designed the Northborough and Franklin Senior Centers, said that building is being “pushed” toward the trees the committee is seeking to preserve because there is a drainage right of way near the north property line which restricts the use of land in that area.
“The surprise (during the test pit work) was the drainage right of way,” Rizza said. “We’re trying to salvage as many trees as possible, so the right of way is a significant constraint.”
The right of way, which contains an 18-inch stormwater drainage pipe, comes into the rear of the property, crosses through the lot and connects to storm drains under Noble Street.
“You may want to consider moving the drainage line,” Rizza said.
An overview drawing of the proposed Westfield Senior Center that will be located on Noble Street. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
City Planner Jay Vinskey said that the drainage is a municipal right of way through municipal property.
“I don’t see any problem moving it,” Vinskey said. “It’s only four or five feet deep and should not be an impediment to building.”
The conceptual plans also provided 122 spaces in the parking lot along the side line of the property, two one-way driveways to enter and leave the parking area, as well as a separate drive for food and supply deliveries. The entry driveway follows the curve of the L-shaped building, with an overhang for citizens being dropped off at the front entry.
There was also considerable discussion of the square footage of the building, and the cost associated with that. Rizza said that the building will have between 16,000 and 20,000 square feet of “program space” and “that brings it up to between a 20,400 and 26,400 square feet building.”
Singleton warned that a significantly larger building translates into a significantly higher cost. City officials have identified a cost of between $6 and $7 million as a goal for the project, but depending on the final design that number could be closer to $10 million than the target range identified when the process was initiated.
The committee and the city’s consultants will meet in two weeks and will discuss design requirements with the Fire and Building departments. There was also discussion about Pioneer Valley Transportation Authority (PVTA) bus service to the center and if the buses will be able to access the property or have to drop passengers off at the curb.
