Manchester aldermen table request to demolish Beech St. school, build new one at city park

Oct. 16—Manchester aldermen have tabled a request from school officials seeking approval to demolish the Beech Street Elementary School and build a new school on land currently occupied by Sheridan-Emmett Park, saying they need more information.

Members of the aldermanic Committee on Lands and Buildings voted to table the request until their next meeting in November.

David Saindon, a project executive with Field Project Management, says he met recently with school board Vice Chairman Jim O'Connell; Superintendent of Schools Jennifer Chmiel; Priority One project team members Jim O'Connell, Matt Rice and Jennifer Soucy of SMMA (the project-management firm overseeing the plan); public works officials; and Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais to go over the Beech Street Elementary School project plan, which includes construction of a new school on the Sheridan-Emmett Park and demolition of the Beech Street School, with the current school space turned into a park.

The planned abatement, demolition, and site restoration will be funded from the school district's $306 million Priority One project budget.

Alderman Norm Vincent asked if the new park on the former school site would be the same size or smaller than the current Sheridan-Emmett Park.

"My main concern is that we're taking away a park, and we're not going to be putting another park up very quickly to replace that park," Vincent said. "I just want to make sure that it's known and that everybody understands that the size of the park will either be the same, or will be smaller, or be bigger."

"We do think that they're generally the same size," Saindon said. "The new school, the game plan is to commence construction operations in the summer of next year. It's going to take roughly about two years to build a new school, and after the new school is constructed, we will move the students from the existing school to the new school, and then we'll do the abatement and demolition of the existing Beech (school). So we could be looking at three years plus before we see another park in that section, if not sooner — we'll endeavor for sooner."

In July, O'Connell said an agreement with the Amoskeag Trust to allow a new school to be built at the park had been submitted to school officials for review.

School officials had hoped aldermen would accept and recommend approval of the Amoskeag Trust partial release of deed for Sheridan-Emmett Park, located near Stanton Park, Valley Street Cemetery and the JFK Coliseum, and authorize a change in use for the land from park use to school use.

Lands and Buildings Committee Chairman Joe Kelly Levasseur said committee members weren't given a copy of the Amoskeag Trust partial release deed ahead of Tuesday's meeting, and he wanted time to review it before taking any votes on the matter.

"I'd also like to read the original charter from Amoskeag Industries," Levasseur said. "Also, it's kind of interesting — why is the school district making decisions about city land? And subcommittees at the school district and making decisions on city land? These are city properties. They're not the school district's properties. They're the city's properties.

"So if anyone was going to be doing any investigation or speaking with Amoskeag Industries, it should have been this board or someone on the city side — it shouldn't have been the school district entering into negotiations for those properties."

The proposal is part of the $306 million first phase of the school district's long-term facilities planning project, which includes the closure of Henry Wilson Elementary School, construction of a new elementary school near the current Beech Street School, shifting Hillside and McLaughlin middle schools to the grade 5-8 model, and additions and renovations at all four middle schools to accommodate fifth-grade students.

Alderman Ed Sapienza said he would hope aldermen wouldn't approve anything the school board or administrator bring forward until they are told what the plan is regarding the future of city high schools.

Officials previously approved Chmiel's "3-4-12 model" — which calls for three high schools, four middle schools and 12 elementary schools. Manchester currently has four high schools, four middle schools and 13 elementary schools.

Chmiel's plan did not include recommendations for specific school closures.

"They need to show their hand," Sapienza said. "We were told at the joint meeting (with school board members) 10 or 11 months ago, we were going to find out in March what the plan is for the high schools. We still don't know."

Levasseur said losing Sheridan-Emmett Park for any length of time is a "big deal."

"So any negotiations should come from this board, they (school officials) don't own anything — we do," Levasseur said. "So you guys have done it backwards, and now we're here learning about all this."

"We still don't know whether or not there's going to be high school put on there, or what the hell the third plan is. We've been in the dark since the beginning, so we're making decisions based on what the school district wants and whatever they are forcing down our throats.

"I think we need to just, not stop the project. We need to slow down."