IPSWICH SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

TRI-BOARD RESPONSES

August 12, 2016

The Feasibility Study process, includes the study of existing conditions, site circulation, access,
traffic, noise, soils and environmental issues for the buildings and sites defined as part of the
MSBA project. The Design Team and Engineers will expand on the preliminary traffic, access
and hydrology studies as the design evolves and continue to gain input from all town boards
and commissions. Police and Fire will be asked to review access and circulation along with
planning board. The following are preliminary answers to questions and concerns raised at the
Tri-Board Meeting of July 27th:
1. Difficulty in replacing Bialek
The goal is to maintain Bialek Park amenities that are used by children under 13. The
playground would remain in its current location and would always be open for
community use. The concept plans save most of Bialeks fields and amenities (including
both little league fields, basketball court, playground, gazebo, concessions/facilities and
multi-purpose lawns toward Kimball Ave. The plans include additional improvements,
such as proper little league field sizes (increased from 180 to 225 per standards),
improved parking, universal access, ease of safety/surveillance and soils/drainage. A
project on this site creates the opportunity to improve landscaping/buffers, fences,
lighting, restrooms and other services, while remaining sensitive to the neighboring
homes and businesses. One example would be providing field lighting that is more
efficient and controlled so as not to cause light pollution. The three displaced fields
would be replicated at Doyon or other viable site(s).
2. Determining the intent of the Town in 1912 playground or conservation
The legal determination is based on town councils professional opinion of intent,
utilizing all available documents and having reviewed precedents. The following
paragraphs are from Town Counsels memo pertaining to Bialek Park acquisition history:
At a special town meeting in March, 1912, the meeting voted to form a committee
consisting of the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, the Chairman of the School
Committee, the Chairman of the Finance Committee, and two citizens at large to
investigate the matter [of a public playground], examine locations and the probable cost
of such grounds and report at some future meeting. Three months later, at another
special town meeting held June 21, 1912, the Town voted that the sum of one thousand
seven hundred dollars be appropriated for the purpose of purchasing land for a public
playground. (See Tab A for these votes).

Shortly after the June 21, 1912 special town meeting, on July 1, 1912, the Town accepted
and recorded a deed from the Estate of John H. Cogswell (Book 2153, Page 592)
acquiring 4.73 acres on Linebrook Road. On July 30, 1912, the Town recorded a deed
conveying 4.76 acres abutting the Cogswell parcel to the east from Thomas and Lucy
Lord (Book 2160, Page 33). A plan prepared by John Nourse showing both of these
parcels was recorded with the latter deed. (See Tab B for the two deeds and the Nourse
plan).
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IPSWICH SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

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August 12, 2016

The 1912 Ipswich Town Report shows the amounts paid for the deeds executed by
Thomas and Lucy Lord ($1,000), and by Dexter M. Smith as Administrator of the Estate
of John Cogswell ($1,100), as well as for the Nourse plan ($10.30), under the heading
Playground. (See Tab A, page 1).1
More than 50 years later, at the adjourned annual town meeting on March 15, 1966, the
Town voted to raise and appropriate the sum of $4800 to acquire a parcel of land from
Albert J. and Ruth Horne, and referencing a plan to be entitled proposed addition to
Linebrook Playground. A deed from Albert and Ruth Horne dated April 29, 1966 was
recorded at Book 5359, Page 238, and references the plan recorded in Plan Book 106,
Page 62. The deed states that the land area is 3.25 acres more or less (no acreage given
on plan). (See Tab C for the deed, the town meeting vote, and plan).
On March 4, 1968, under Article 18 of the annual town meeting, the Town voted to
appropriate the sum of $3,000 to purchase an additional 36,000 square feet of land from
Albert and Ruth Horne located [a]djacent to the right of way from Kimball Ave. to the
Linebrook playground for playground and park purposes. The second deed from the
Hornes dated May 8, 1968 was recorded in Book 5530, Page 104. (See Tab D for the
deed and town meeting vote). This land widened the portion of the park that fronts on
Kimball Avenue, probably to facilitate access from Kimball Avenue.
These four deeds appear to cover all of the land now included in Bialek Park; the courses
and distances given for the boundaries of the parcel on the 1912 and 1966 plans
correspond to those shown on Assessors Map 30D as the current boundaries of the
Towns land.
It is clear from the 1912 votes and Town report that the purpose of the original
acquisitions was to establish a public playground. It is also clear that the 1966 and 1968
acquisitions were to enlarge the existing playground. I dont view the use of the word
park in the statement of purpose in the 1968 vote as intending any change or
restriction in the original use, especially given the continuity of the use.2
3. Railroad Quiet zone
Railway specialists (CTC) involved in Ipswichs prior quiet zone study/determination
have been solicited to review the implications of locating the school at the Bialek Site
regarding the quiet zone and will coordinate between the MBTA and the Federal
Railroad Administration to determine if any changes to the current status would be
triggered by development of the Bialek site for educational use.
4. Traffic including pedestrian and bus traffic over tracks
The railway specialist and traffic engineer will coordinate findings on behalf of an
expanded traffic study (see below) and quiet zone implication study (as noted above)
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August 12, 2016

5. Need railroad report before BOS vote

The determination and study of the quiet zone will be complete by the end of August.
6. Train sound levels
Acoustic studies begin this week with ambient sound meter readings for both sites,
including focused readings on train noise levels with recommendation of mitigation
measures to achieve appropriate work/learning levels within the proposed school.
7. Traffic study including traffic on site plus in surrounding neighborhoods
An expanded traffic study proposal has been provided by a different engineer (VHB)
than was used for the earlier studies associated with this project. The expanded scope
includes review of the prior studies, including the prior Lord Square Study and will
extend its reach along High St & Linebrook from School St to Lord Square, along
Washington to Depot Square, and along Central from Linebrook to Five Corners (Quints
Corner). The scope of the proposal will be circulated among the School Building
Committee, School Committee, Board of Selectman and Finance Committee members
for review. The costs of the proposed robust traffic and train studies are outside of the
current scope of work but are worthy of consideration as long as Bialek Park remains a
viable site.
8. Identify existing park land and play space in downtown area. Also identify other
potential playground and field spaces to replace Bialek
A 90 baseball diamond/field, softball field and overlapping multi-purpose/practice field
would need to be replicated at Doyon or other viable site(s). Although Doyon is not
walkable from town center, it is felt that the three fields are generally used by older
students and adult groups. The playfields and spaces that would remain on Bialek are
generally used by younger children and families. If a school was built on a portion of the
Bialek site, the existing Winthrop playground would remain on the Winthrop
site. Currently when school is in session, the Winthrop playground is not available to
the community. If the school is relocated to Bialek, this playground would be available
for community use during the day.
9. Can Bialek be enhanced to provide better features to community? Walking/jogging
path? Better use of area around road from Kimball?
The current plans show exactly these type of enhancements at a diagrammatic level
appropriate to this phase of feasibility study. Detailed plans would be developed and
refined by additional committee and community input during the next phase of
Schematic Design.
10. Better police access to Bialek.
Currently, fields and fence locations prevent police access to a majority of the park and
limits emergency response vehicles to one gate. The plans include an aligned
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IPSWICH SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

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August 12, 2016

intersection at Maple Ave, for safety and traffic concerns. A perimeter access around
the proposed building and to sports fields for Police, Fire and Safety is included in the
proposed plan. Current plans indicate the removal of the access road from Kimball Ave
based on discussions with the neighborhood. There have been discussions to provide a
gated road (or widened walking path for police vehicles) to maintain controlled access
and complete surveillance. With continued work with police, fire, DPW and the
neighbors, proper police and emergency access will be provided.
11. Hydrology controlling water on site
The existing site has approximately 67,500 sq.ft. of impervious, due to the parking lots,
driveways, basketball and tennis courts, and associated improvements. The feasibility
plan for Bailek Park has proposed approximately 153,200 sq.ft of impervious surfaces,
for a total increase of approximately 85,700 sq.ft., or 2.26 times the existing impervious
area. The increase in impervious will produce additional runoff, and will require
groundwater recharge and water quality treatment.
Using the known site area, soil type (Hydrological Group B), and existing and proposed
impervious areas, along with a simplistic drainage calculation, there is a 19% (1.19)
increase in runoff and volume from the site in a 100-yr storm. In order to mitigate the
increase, a stormwater basin or series of stormwater basins would need to be designed
to hold the approximate 25,000 cu.ft of increased volume. The stormwater system
would need to provide approximately 4,500 cu.ft. of groundwater recharge, and provide
12,800 cu.ft. of water quality treatment. Both the groundwater recharge and treatment
volumes can be incorporated into the stormwater basins volumes.
Due to the potential high groundwater areas, any drainage design would first locate
areas with deeper groundwater levels to help facilitate groundwater recharge. The
stormwater drainage system could be a series of catch basins, manholes, and
stormwater basins, or some combination of smaller, shallower basins spread throughout
the site, combined with shallow grassed swales, providing additional storage,
groundwater infiltration, as well as a serving as the conveyance system.
Summary
Site

Bailek Park
Winthrop
School

Total
Impervious
sq.ft.
153,200
71,000

Stormwa
ter Basin
cu.ft.
25,000
NA**

Recharge
Volume
cu.ft.
4,500
2,100

Quality
Volume
cu.ft.
12,800
3,000

**Volume still needs to be provided to achieve groundwater recharge and treatment

volume.
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IPSWICH SCHOOL BUILDING COMMITTEE

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August 12, 2016

Costs will mainly be impacted by the decision or need to install an above ground or
underground chamber system, with underground systems typically being costlier. Other
factors that will influence the cost is the conveyance system itself, for example a long
narrow site may require more manholes and drainage pipes to carry water from one
part of the site to another, while a more compact site should require less pipe and
manholes. Surface conveyances such as grassed swales are generally cheaper to
construct, but require more maintenance the subsurface pipes.
12. Mosquito control
Insect control is not within the scope of this project other than provisions to avoid
standing water, moisture and other conditions that could promote breeding.
Considerations can be included for site design and plantings that would promote natural
control or mitigation. It is our understanding that the Town is part of the Northeast
Mass Mosquito and Wetlands Management Group (nemmc@comcast.net) and we
assume that the Town is following all recommended practices for mosquito
control. Any design recommendations from the Northeast Mass Mosquito and
Wetlands Management Group, could be incorporated into the site design.
13. Town finance on bonding
Based on the Tri-board meeting, the Town Manager and the Finance Director are
working on updating the proposed 10 year capital project bond schedule.

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