WILMINGTON, MA — At the Annual Town Meeting in May, residents appropriated $150,000 to fund a Facility Master Plan. The public received its first update on the Facility Master Plan Process at last week’s Selectmen’s Meeting.
The Need For A Facilities Master Plan
“The purpose [of the facilities master plan] is to really help us get a handle on the facilities issues we need to address,” announced Assistant Town Manager Kendra Amaral at last week’s Selectmen’s Meeting. “It will give us an opportunity to prioritize [town projects] in a way that makes the most sense to meet all the needs and be financially sound as possible.”
“We’re really trying to look at this to extend beyond the most talked about needs because there’s a lot of needs out there,” noted Amaral.
“We are reaching a point where town’s facility challenges extend well beyond a single project,” wrote Town Manager Jeff Hull in a recent memo to the Board of Selectmen. “We are already experiencing overcrowding in our public safety space and public work garages; the senior center and library are limited in their service delivery to seniors and residents due to their facilities; and the former Glen Road School has multiple deficiencies as headquarters for general government operations.”
“It is therefore necessary to evaluate and prioritize our needs and develop long term solutions that ensure we are making the most informed and financially effective decisions for the next ten to twenty years,” continued Hull. “The taxpayers bear the cost of facility projects, and we have a responsibility to prioritize and design those projects in a way that continues our commitment to get the most benefit out of every single dollar spent.”
“This is one of the most critical exercises the town as a municipality will do in the next year,” said Selectwoman Judy O’Connell. “What do we want to be in the next 5 to 10 years? In order to be successful in any project, you have to take a step back and properly plan.”
“It would be easy to look at a building and say that we need to fix that situation,” cautioned Selectman Chair Mike Champoux. “Slowing ourselves down here and following this detailed process will allow us to make much more educated , purposeful and strategic decisions going forward, even if it’s yet a year away. I ask for the public to be patient and allow the process to work… They’ll be more than just talk at the end of this.”
Facility Masters Plan Timeline
August-October 2015
- Confirm the Committee membership, likely to include the Permanent Building Committee, the Superintendent of Public Buildings, the Superintendent of Schools, and the Director of Planning & Conservation.
- Issue RFP
- Review proposals
- Enter into a contract with the consultant
October-December 2015 (Data and Inputs Phase)
- Review existing documentation and prior studies, and research existing conditions to create a broad assessment of existing facilities, noting deficiencies.
- Develop an internal and external needs assessment program to gather data and input from various town stakeholders including residents, departments, businesses and others.
- Assess the needs of the community and each department or function including estimated growth requirements.
- Determine building net and gross area requirements to meet the programmatic needs identified through assessments, identify opportunities for shared space, and space efficiency.
- Study alternative site layouts, building plans or building locations within the Town to determine if existing or alternative sites have the capacity to accommodate the programs. Analyze parking and access issues.
January 2016-April 2016 (Projects and Alternatives Phase)
- Prepare a preliminary assessment of options and for each option, including the follow: (1) pros and cons of each alternative; (2) feasibility of each alternative; (3) projected cost of each alternative; (4) effectiveness and benefits; and (5) relative important/urgency of each of the identified program needs.
- Present options to the town, obtain feedback and additional input, in order to move forward with developing scenarios, priorities, and timelines.
- Determine the appropriate disposition of buildings if they are declared redundant or unsuitable for continued use.
- Achieve an understanding of opportunities that may arise with the purchase/swap of town real estate assets that may provide improved solutions to department/facility relocations to include potential opportunities for public/private collaborations.
- Identify any known grants or alternative funding sources that my impact or influence prioritizations and plans.
- Recommend a preliminary project timeline or schedule from appropriation through design, construction and phasing steps (if appropriate).
- Develop implementation strategies. Consider the Town buildings’ relationship to the community and outline the regulatory approval steps required.
- Consider possibilities for implementing “green” building and energy saving strategies and preserving green or open space, water resources, and fossil fuels.
May 2016-September 2016 (Facilities Master Plan Phase)
- Disseminate information to the various stakeholders and interested parties.
- Prepare a Final Draft of the Plan and Executive Summary and prepare a Final Facility Master Plan in print and digital form.
- Work with the Committee to initiate additional related activities (e.g., feasibility studies) that may be warranted in order to meet timeline goals identified.
- Integrate the above study materials into a Master Plan which will provide a framework for capital building projects with estimated project costs.
- Incorporate recommendations into the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan.
The Facility Master Plan will also address senior housing needs. Look for an additional article on that aspect of the plan.
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