Latest news with #AnnaE.BarrySchool
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Meeting for Anna E. Barry School renovation project to be held to discuss building process
CHICOPEE — Officials will be holding neighborhood meetings with residents to discuss findings and concerns with the Anna E. Barry School renovation and refurbishment project. It was discovered in March that the elementary school, which is slated for a multimillion dollar renovation and refurbishment, has wetland soils and falls under a 'parkland designation‚' which means the land cannot be used for another public purpose beyond the conservation of natural resources. 'We realize that there is concern about the project from the neighborhood and parents, so we want to update the community. At the meeting information and findings will be shared, so residents can be informed on the process and questions we are facing,' said Mayor John Vieau in a statement. The first meeting will be held next Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Szetela Early Childhood School, a possible new site for the school, which, if selected, would combine its preschool students with the Barry School's 340 kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students. The meeting will be hosted by stakeholders on the project, including the mayor, Chicopee Public Schools officials, Caolo and Bieniek Architects, Colliers Project Leaders and owner's project managers. The sessions are meant to encourage discussion and questions from the public, explain what the 'feasibility phase' means, share experts' findings — including traffic considerations and site studies — and address possible misinformation from a recent Barry School Building Commission meeting. The school has previously been rife with issues, including asbestos, its structure and lack of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Members of the Building Commission, made up of volunteers with backgrounds in engineering and construction, want the school to stay in the Garrity Grove area, to avoid any redistricting. Chicopee is working on the project in partnership with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Top vocational honors for Holyoke Dean Tech student Get your 'passport' ready for this year's Asparagus Valley Pottery Trail Holyoke's young chefs compete in Sodexo's 15th anniversary challenge Springfield fights illegal dumping after accusing Ludlow woman of strewing 1.5 tons of trash on street
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anna E. Barry School may be forced to relocate due to site issues
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Renovation plans for the Anna E. Barry School in Chicopee may force the school to relocate after a survey of the building site. The original plan to build the new school just feet behind the current Barry location has been met with two problems: soil and Article 97. Tapestry Health and Craig's Doors receive $150K grant to expand harm reduction services A recent study of Garrity Grove found that the wetland soil would impact the structural integrity of the new building. The other problem with this site is Article 97, which protects the parkland area under Massachusetts State Law. 22News spoke with Chicopee Mayor John Vieau about what options the city is considering. 'There were some real obstacles in trying to use this site,' Vieau said. 'It's not been completely determined that we're moving to other options. We're looking at potentially relocating to Szetela School, as that site has a lot of extra land behind the building, and also looking at another location off of Robbins Road.'The Szetela Early Childhood School on Macek Drive could provide an alternative that wouldn't require redistricting. The Barry School Building Commission is currently assessing the viability of Szetela and they don't expect any delays. Information meetings regarding this potential relocation are held at Chicopee City Hall on the second Thursday of every month. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
