Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: In Favor of BHS Option AR8

A letter to the editor in favor of BHS addition-renovation option AR8

Nicci Kadilak

Nicci Kadilak

— 2 min read
Letter to the Editor: In Favor of BHS Option AR8

OUR EDITORIAL POLICY

Dear Editor,

There is a final BHS Building Community Meeting on Thursday, March 27th at 6:30pm at BHS Auditorium. The option with the most expensive estimate is NC5 (new building on Varsity Field which is 3 separate construction projects). Project team anticipates a decision between two final plans in April.

But the higher estimated cost is not the only issue.  This build plan NC5 means:

  1. Varsity Field will be demolished and replaced with a new high school building on 3A with a “city look,” per architect. 
  2. Current BHS building will be demolished except for gyms which will still be used for sports.  New building will have a small phys ed gym and small auditorium with only 500 seats. 
  3. Build new track with underground parking for 164 cars on old BHS building site.
  4. If practice field is approved by Conservation for artificial turf,  and practice field is built inside wetlands, no visitor bleachers will fit. 

Why is this bad? Because there are THREE separate construction sites increasing cost overruns. It will take four years; all sports played on Varsity Field will be moved to MSMS for 4 years. The soggy practice fields are unsuitable for Varsity Field/bleachers. Take a walk there yourself and see (rain boots recommended). Part of Varsity Field is already monitored by the state due to currently capped underground toxic waste (MassDEP tracking number 3-19180).

With build plan AR8, we can: GIVE 918 deserving students brand new, state-of-the-art building next to current BHS. SAVE taxpayers money and SAVE the wetlands for the wildlife and for flood control. KEEP Varsity Field and the auditorium and existing gymnasiums, modified with beautiful renovations for the Whole Community. 

Let’s be responsible and not romance the most expensive project. We're debating on a $1,000 tax increase per average house for 30 years, on top of $350 for Fox Hill/Police Station. And with a record 80 students just accepted to Shawsheen, Burlington will bear its share of a new Shawsheen Tech High School under consideration.

Jim Kapuza, Arlington Rd.

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