Estabrook Task Force Slowly Moving Forward

The task force assembled to hash out issues regarding access to the soon-to-be constructed or renovated new Estabrook Elementary School has made some progress since its , but the group still awaits five proposals for access improvements that Beta Group, the town's engineering consultant, will make in the fall.

"We set an ambitious schedule [at the first meeting,] but it hasn't been all that realistic to get a lot done with parents away and school not in session," said Michelle Ciccolo, the task group's chairwoman.

So far the task force evaluated traffic data collected by Beta Group in the spring, and pinpointed car backup on Grove Street during drop-off and pick-up as one of many areas where improvements need to be made.

"We were surprised that so many cars were idling on a major road, but what surprised me the most was the limited number of students coming to school by foot or bike," Ciccolo said. 

Beta Group will present its options this fall to the task force, who will further whittle down the proposals before presenting their findings to the School Committee and Board of Selectmen in the winter. 

The group will take a walking tour of the site on Monday, when they'll discuss possible improvements. But such a task is difficult given that the specifics of the new building are not yet finalized.

"We haven't gotten into those types of specific discussions yet. That's not part of this phase," Town Engineer John Livsey said. 

The town will be interviewing potential architects in the coming weeks, and meeting with the Massachusetts School Building Authority review panel later this month.

The most likely spot for the new Estabrook is behind the existing school on the softball field, according to director of public facilities Patrick Goddard.