Belmonte building committee takes first walkthrough

SAUGUS – The Saugus Belmonte Building Committee got a first-hand glimpse of the construction that?s been going on at the middle school all summer as project managers led the group on a tour of the site Monday afternoon.The group met in a conference room in the construction trailer first, however, to conduct some business and discuss the project before heading out on the walkthrough.Jim Dowd, project manager for Skanska Builders, said everything is proceeding well after the project?s first full summer.?I?m happy with the way (construction manager) Consigli is proceeding,” said Dowd. (The Massachusetts School Building Authority) did a walkthrough last month and they?re happy with the progress too.”Dowd said four change orders were recently approved, including one for $52,000 approved by a subcommittee on Thursday for additional asbestos abatement.Dowd said more asbestos was found in the elbows of piping in underground tunnels that run from the tennis courts to the main stairway and had spilled onto adjoining insulation and piping.?The subcommittee approved it and work is well under way,” said Dowd. “One tunnel should be completed by today.”The change orders were taken out of the $700,000 in contingency money, leaving around $590,000 left.?That is a comfortable level for right now,” said Dowd.Jill Rachubinski, project manager for construction management firm Consigli, called the last three months a “successful summer,” and noted all new fire alarms and sprinkler systems will be operational by the start of school.Committee member Tom Stewart, who has a child entering the sixth grade, raised some concerns about sixth grade orientation being moved from the middle school to the high school on Thursday.Sixth grade orientation will take place Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the high school gym while orientation for parents will take place from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the high school auditorium.?I think you raise the anxiety level for parents,” said Stewart. “The concept is out there that there?s something they?re hiding and they don?t want us to see it.”However, former Belmonte principal Geoff Bruno, who now serves as Director of Curriculum, Accountability and Instruction for the district, said orientation was moved simply to allow more time for construction to continue.?Any day there are no kids in the building is like gold because you can just go,” said Bruno.Dowd also noted that there will be work going on in the area of the building where orientation would have taken place.?That?s exactly what you need to say to parents,” said Stewart. “My question?s been answered.”The committee will meeting again on Sept. 24 at 4 p.m.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].