Community Members Not Sold on Pell School Design

HMFH architects presented their schematic design for the Pell elementary school to a frustrated audience at Wednesday night's design forum at . The audience voiced concerns that the community has not had the opportunity to weigh in on the design of the elementary school and that it was being forced on the town too late in the game to implement change.

“I voted for the bond, I didn't vote for this design,” said Myles Standish, of Newport. “Have the courtesy to get me involved. . .Go back to the drawing board.”

Several audience members voiced their agreement after his statement, saying they did not feel as if they had been given the chance to give their input on the design of the school.

One member of the audience said another concern was that the exterior of the school “doesn't reflect architectural history of Newport.”

Laura Wernick,  Sr. Principal at HMFH, said that's what the forum was for, and that it would be possible to reflect some of Newport's historic elements in the exterior, as it has yet to be designed.

The overarching issue of the night was that the audience felt the schematic design has somehow turned into the official design. Several complaints were that the community was told the schematic design was passed off as a place holder, and once the bond was passed it became the final design that was already being tweaked for details.

Later that night at the between the Newport School Committee and Newport City Council, school committee member Jo Eva Gaines said that if the architects were to start from scratch like several suggested at the forum, the school would not end up being built due to specific state deadlines regarding the bond. According to the deadline, the school must be open by June 2013.

“Every meeting we have had we've asked for input and we've gotten it," Gaines said. "I don't think there will ever be a plan that everyone in Newport will agree with. We have to make a decision to move forward or the project will not materialize. We have begged people to come to these meetings and talk to us. Now I'm seeing people who I've never seen before who don't like anything we've done.”

Marty Grimes, another Newport resident, said that his understanding of the process was that “through the process the community will have input.”

“We have no input," he said. "Now we have the opportunity to chime in. This is being forced down on us. We want a better school. It was supposed to be a place holder, now it's the design. We're not given the opportunity for flexibility in design."

Wernick said that Newport teachers were involved in the design process, and the proposed “T shaped” design encourages collaboration between teachers and makes efficient use of the flow of students traveling from one part of school to the other.

“We're trying to provide varied learning experiences and collaboration among teachers," Wernick said. “Everything we do revolves around what is best for the students."

One example she gave was the design of the cafeteria, which is located in the center of the building and can be used as a multipurpose space.

"Show me a square and circle," Standish said, regarding the one design HMFH presented. Standish said that he did not want to just take HMFH's word that a "T" shape is what's best for students, and he wanted to be part of the design decision.

Architect James Asbel also presented his design for an alternative school, which he discussed earlier this week during a .

“Is it possible to design and build a school as if our kids' development were a consideration?" Asbel asked. "Thats the key. It's not about what's easy, about the kids."

Asbel's design comprised of an “S” shaped building that allowed natural lighting and outside views in all the classrooms and administrative offices, as opposed to the 75 percent proposed by the school committee. Other features in his design include green roofs and recycled materials.

“As much of the site as possible is preserved for kids' use, with ample recreation outdoor use,” he said about his design.

Asbel will present his plan again on Saturday, Feb. 5, at 3 p.m. at the