The meeting was called to order on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2007 at the Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library. Present were Stanley Young, Michael Dell’Orto, Corinne Blagbrough, Dick Rockwood, Dan Donovan and Nancy Clark.

Karen Bourne and Alicia Mercier, members of the Florence Rideout Elementary School Building Committee, gave a presentation on the status of proposals for the rebuilding/expansion of the elementary school in response to an architectural space needs study. The options are:
1) Do nothing.
2) New building on a new site -- requiring 15-20 acres, $10-12 million dollars, with no suitable land apparently available.
3) Move Grade 6 to the high school -- which is a short term solution and would put the high school at maximum capacity.
4) Renovate the existing school which is at the borderline of its capacity (304 students in a space designed for 300 students).

The fourth option is the one the FRES Building Committee supports; renovation of and an addition to the existing school. They seek a 30 year bond for an estimated $7.9 million dollar expenditure. They expect to receive state aid to the tune of 30% and are looking into applying for Green School funds. The per year cost to Wilton tax payers will start at $1.41 per $1,000 which will decrease over the course of 30 years to 42 cents per $1,000 at the end.

The existing 1895 building will remain intact. A more recent one story addition will be torn down and a new addition will be built between the gym and the 1895 building. It will be two stories high and its roofline will blend in with the existing structure. Most of the new building will be in the back of the existing building. The modifications to the school will increase its square footage by 34% to 55,000 square feet. Four hundred students will be accommodated. Architect Kyle Barker of Concord has worked on plans for the proposed renovations. Members of the FRES Building Committee are seeking support from the community and gathering ideas as well.

Michael pointed out that the Heritage Commission’s interest lies in preserving and/or restoring the facade of the original 1895 building. He also asked about ADA requirements and how a now inconvenient elevator would be more conveniently placed in the proposed new addition. Corinne asked how long the building project would take and what would be done with students in the meanwhile. The HC was told that the project would take two years, with a September2010 completion date. The school would remain in use during construction, with some temporary classrooms necessary, briefly. The HC was told that plans will be available for inspection soon. Members were invited to tour the elementary school to assess the need for changes and to look at a schematic. The Heritage Commission members concluded they would like to see how well the new building will fit into the existing site and assess how faithfully the original look of the school is maintained.

Following the FRES presentation, the meeting proceeded. The Aug. 28 minutes were read and accepted. The treasurer reported that no money had been spent. Michael is pricing larger scanners. They are very expensive and he is going to look into acquiring a used one.

Michael and Stanley reported on the Town Hall National Register project. Dick Rockwood said that the selectmen seem agreeable to going ahead with the process. The Heritage Commission still needs to know how many interior changes will be permitted and/or must be done according to historically approved design specifications. The HC decided to ask for $5,000 from the next budget to pay for an architectural historian.

The Commission continues to support the idea to move the War Memorial to the new park in Lot 48. The Main Street design committee and the American Legion will be consulted.

Dick Rockwood reported that the tile silo at Four Corners Farm has come down.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.

Respectfully Submitted;

Nancy Clark, Secretary