OXFORD – The fate of the Oxford school district’s oldest building was the focus of an engineering report presented Wednesday to the school’s Facilities Advisory Committee.
Representatives of the Bernier Carr architectural and engineering firm from Watertown met in a public meeting last night at the Oxford Primary School to present its findings.
“I thought the meeting was a good first step in what will be a long, detailed process. I think the firm is doing an excellent job. They’ve provided us with a lot of information and kept us informed throughout the process. They are making sure we understand each step,” said Superintendent Randall Squier.
Oxford has been taking a look at what to do with its middle school building since it was badly damaged during the July 2006 flood. The structure’s hundred-year-old design proved vulnerable in last year’s severe floods and cost the school about $1.1 million in damages.
The brunt of the cost was paid by state and federal emergency aid. The district has each of its buildings – high, middle and elementary schools – insured at approximately $500,000. However, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has asked Oxford Academy to increase its insurance on the middle school to $1 million dollars.
“The middle school used all its insurance to help pay the damage suffered during the flood, and the premiums could cost the district three or four times as much,” Squier said.
The Oxford school board approved Bernier Carr to begin its evaluation back in July after reviewing bids from several firms.
The firm looked at several aspects of the middle school, including a site analysis, building analysis, code review, and a review of all the heating, mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems.
“The purpose of tonight is not to make a decision, but to get the information out there,” said firm representative Pamela S. Beyor, A.I.A.
Principal architect for the group, Jason S. Jantzi said, “The structure is in good shape; in report card terms, it received something like a 92-95.”
The firm made dozens of recommendations regarding repairs, restorations and replacements. Some of the recommendations included improving the parking lots and playing fields to replacing two-thirds of the roof and classroom doors.
To address every issue presented in the report would cost the district approximately over $2.5 million. This estimate does not include the second part of the group’s recommendations, which discussed future flood control options.
The firm explained the three types of flood control and reviewed the district’s recent flood history and costs associated with those events.
“The hundred year flood mark is the basis of most insurance firms, but the 500 year, .02 percent flood marks are starting to become more widely used,” said Jantzi.
The middle school building is literally spilt in half by the currently determined flood insurance line, putting half the building in a high-risk, high-cost area. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is currently working on a new line determination for the Susquehanna River Basin and is expected to complete its report in 2009, most likely raising the current determination. That would deepen the building’s cost and risk associated with insurance and may interfere with aid considerations.
The types of flood mitigation included modifying the current middle school site. The district has three options when handling floods. The district can allow the building to become flooded and focus on moving sensitive equipment up above the water level and install waterproof equipment found below the line. This would require insulation and other current materials to be replaced and there would still be the cost of clean up. Also the damage to the masonry and concrete would continue to be a serious problem, especially to old or historic buildings said the firm.
The second is expanding the current berms (dikes) that currently flank the east side of the nearby Chenango River bank. The team advised that the current entryways, used for fire and rescue to the river, compromised the system. The berms would have to be expanded much further, possibly requiring the acquisition of new property. Also the district would need to hire another firm to study the effect a new berm may have on its neighbors because it might cause additional flooding in other parts of the community. The Department of Environmental Conservation will not issue a permit for such a project unless a study shows a minimal impact.
The third option would call for a constructed wall to cover the back portion of the building. It would include passageways for foot and vehicle traffic, but would have to be closed during a flood. The walls would still leave the athletic fields vulnerable and can be costly. Also the wall would rely on human intervention to operate correctly. If a storm struck at an inconvenient time, “like at 3 a.m. on a Sunday in the middle of summer,” explained the group, “all your well-laid plans might be for nothing if no one is available or unable to close off those open areas.”
The firm left saying more work had to be done and no recommendations had yet been made.
The firm will meet again on Oct. 15, 6 p.m., at the Primary School Multipurpose Room in Oxford to discuss its findings regarding the Primary and High School.