High School Committee Narrows to One Option

Burlington now has a clearer picture of what the Burlington High School of the future will look like. After a lengthy discussion outlining the evolution of the two potential designs still on the table for a new or renovated high school, the Building Committee at their April 17 voted unanimously to strike one of the options from consideration.

The meeting begin with a thorough presentation from Terry Hartford from Owner's Project Manager, Dore & Whittier, explaining how plans evolved over time in response to Committee and community feedback. The design team investigated many ideas before narrowing to five principal options and later the two most feasible and acceptable options, known as new construction 5 (NC-5) and addition-renovation 8 (AR-8; despite the name, this option would leave the school with an entirely new classroom wing and renovate the gymnasiums and auditorium.

The NC-5 option would see Varsity Field moving while a new school is built in the place of the current Varsity Field. This option came with a number of complications, including neighbor concerns about water and noise if the field was relocated, as originally planned, to the to-be-demolished center of the current building.

A revised plan was created to move Varsity Field to where the practice field currently sits, closer to the wetland area, while the track would still be built in the center of the building. Separating the track from the field would not be ideal, said Hartford at the meeting, and additionally when wetland marking was performed, it seemed more clear that the site is not ideal, and perhaps not even feasible, for a new Varsity Field and complex.

Before voting, the Committee heard and discussed input from the public, including a question of whether the Roger's Piano site would be a good place to put Varsity Field, whether the old Meadowbrook School (where Mt. Hope is currently located) might be a good place for a new high school, and whether it would make sense to hold off for a few years on the project to see if prices go down. In the end, though, the Committee voted unanimously to eliminate potion NC-5 and proceed with AR-8, though Hartford proposed creating a more inspiring name to better capture the vision for Burlington's new high school.

This decision begins the next phase of the process, which includes detailed programming meetings with various departments to design spaces within the building. Committee members stressed the importance of ongoing community engagement, transparency, and communication as the project moves toward a town-wide debt exclusion vote.

Looking ahead, the committee plans to refine the design, consider cost-saving measures, and develop a compelling presentation for town residents.