Capital projects outlined at Amherst schools
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

The timeline for the Amherst Central School District's capital construction project was outlined at the Oct. 2 Board of Education meeting.

Rick Perry, project architect from the Thomas Group, said there are two phases of the project to be slated for New York State Education Department approval. The first phase, new roofs at the high school, middle school and Windermere Boulevard Elementary as well as other exterior elements such as window replacement, is scheduled to go to the State Education Department in the middle of November; the second phase, infrastructure work, including a 3,600-square-foot cafeteria expansion at Windermere as well as updated science and art rooms at the middle school, will go for approval in February.

If approved, Perry said the first phase could be bid out to contractors early next year with the hope of starting construction by next summer. Perry is hoping the second phase can be bid out to contractors by next May with construction beginning as soon as possible. Mike Featherstone, construction administrator for the Thomas Group, said because it's a larger project, the second phase construction will probably go through 2009.

Perry said the capital project was broken into two phases because the elements of the first phase don't involve major building codes; therefore, it could go through the State Education Department review more quickly.

In addition, district resident Dean Gowan, a landscape architect, will assist the Thomas Group on a master plan to replant trees that were damaged by last year's October snowstorm and add new trees in certain areas on district grounds where construction will be taking place. Gowan knows of several independent projects that will raise funds to plant trees, but he hopes the money can be funneled into one central project.

"Many of those efforts end up having trees planted in the wrong spot with the wrong species of trees, so a tree master plan is pretty important," said Gowan.

Bill Hayes, principal-in-charge of the Thomas Group, said some money in the capital project has been set aside to finance new trees.

In other matters: Superintendent Laura Chabe said interviews for a new high school principal are right on schedule. She hopes to have a recommendation for a new high school principal by the Oct. 16 board meeting.

Former principal JoAnn Balazs took a job as new principal of the Harkness Career and Technical Center in Cheektowaga. Retired Amherst High School Principal Joseph Podgorski has been appointed as substitute administrator at the high school for the 2007-08 school year until the district finds a replacement.

The board approved a request from the Amherst Alumni Association to rename the South gym floor at the high school in honor of Bob Hettler, past Athletics Director and basketball coach.

e-mail: pnagy@beenews.com