Borough approves contractors for renovation project

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The borough board approved contractors for Naugatuck High School renovations at a special meeting Monday night.

NAUGATUCK — The school building committee is assembling its team to begin an $81 million renovation of Naugatuck High School.

The Board of Mayor and Burgesses approved three contractors for the project at a special meeting Tuesday night.

While architectural firm Kaestle Boos Associates will oversee the design and execution of the project, the borough sought bids for environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, and surveying — services Kaestle Boos does not provide.

The three consultants will provide information on the state of the property prior to construction, which will be used in the planning and design of the renovations.

The building committee chose BSC Group of Glastonbury to provide surveying services at a cost of $19,300. BSC was the lowest of three bidders, according to Burgess Robert Neth, who also serves on the building committee. Kaestle Boos has not worked with BSC Group in the past, but Kaestle Boos Vice President David King said the company is well-qualified for the job, with a long history of land surveying since 1965.

According to BSC’s proposal, it will depict the property boundaries, topography, and utility information. BSC plans to review existing documents before going out in the field to identify wetlands and map the boundaries and elevations. The field work will take two to three weeks, with the final map ready within a month, the proposal states.

For geotechnical engineering, the borough board approved Dr. Clarence Welti, whose bid of $41,000 was the lowest of six proposals.

“Dr. Welti is probably one of the best in his field,” Neth said.

Both Kaestle Boos and the borough have worked with the firm in the past, he said.

“His reputation is very good,” King said.

The geotechnical engineer will bore down into 65 spots on the high school property, under proposed locations for new additions to the school, ball fields, and drainage areas. The firm will test the depth of rock and analyze the soil to recommend how to design foundations and drainage to suit the area, according to King.

Finally, TRC of Windsor will provide environmental consulting services at a cost of $30,000. TRC was the only company considered because it already has all the school’s records after working with the borough for many years, according to Kaestle Boos’ Construction Administration Specialist Firdos “Freddie” Khericha.

The environmental consultant will test for hazardous materials, such as asbestos, PCBs, mercury, and lead paint, prior to construction and provide an abatement plan. TRC will also monitor the project after construction to ensure none of those hazardous materials have leached into the environment.

All contractor costs are part of the $81 million bond package passed at referendum Nov. 8. The contractor fees are part of an estimated $9.3 million for “soft costs,” which include engineering fees and professional services. So far, the collective costs have come in below the estimate, according to King.

All three companies met requirements and have good reputations, according to Neth.

The borough board also approved the final contract for Kaestle Boos. The architectural firm is charging $3.05 million for its services.

Before the start of construction, the borough also plans to hire a construction manager to oversee all subcontractors.