Brunswick School Seeks New Wellness Center For Upper Campus

GREENWICH, CT — A pre-application went before the Greenwich Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday that proposes a wellness center and second floor addition to an existing building at the Brunswick School upper campus at 100 Maher Ave.

The pre-application process allows for a non-binding discussion with the commission about the pros and cons of a proposal before a substantial investment is made in developing plans, reports, and studies.

The wellness center would not focus on physical wellness, but rather the mind, according to Thomas Heagney, attorney for the applicant. It would also centralize programs into one dedicated space.

"This is for mental health: nutrition, counseling, sex education — those kinds of things that are important to focus on for high school students," Heagney said. "This would not result in any change in the student body nor programs that are offered. These are all programs that are being offered on the campus currently, but they're scattered around depending on the availability of any particular classroom where the program is being held."

The center would be intended for large group instruction, and would include areas for small or individual counseling.

In June 2017, the Commission approved an addition and renovation to the library at the school.

"That has not yet been constructed," Heagney explained. "This proposal combines that on a smaller scale, adding only 457 square feet [to the building footprint] and then having a second floor [wellness center] over what is the northeast corner."

The wellness center would add 6,700 square feet of new floor space, Heagney noted.

In order to add the center, the school would have to consolidate properties that Brunswick already owns at 53 and 71 Northfield Street, and 63 and 45 Patterson Avenue. The lots are residential.

"We'll add those to the campus, which will give us the square footage to be able to add this second floor addition and the first floor connector," Heagney said. "

Commissioner Dennis Yeskey said there is a lot of discussion around mental health in schools these days, and he wondered what the current spaces look like where the programs are held now.

"I don't know the spaces in the areas they currently have where they do these programs now, but this sounds like something that could benefit the students," he said.

Commission Chair Margarita Alban told Heagney to focus on "integrating a non-residential use and expansion of a non-residential use for the existing neighborhood."

Heagney said there has been some outreach to neighbors, and a resident in the area has gotten in touch with the school about the project. Head of School Tom Philip is following up, Heagney said.

"I think you will need to focus any traffic considerations on the impact on the neighborhood, and whether there's an intensification of impact on the neighborhood," Alban added. "That is going to be key in this. We want to support education, but at the same time we have an obligation to the residents."