Town staff updated the Select Board on Oct. 29 about the Pollard Project feasibility phase and the schedule for public engagement and MSBA review.

The Permanent Public Building Committee (serving as the school building committee) is advancing seven options in the preferred schematic report (PSR) phase with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Staff said the schematic phase is designed to surface site questions — traffic, stormwater, cost estimates and governance — before a preferred option is selected. A public hearing at Pollard is scheduled for Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m., and a second all‑boards summit is planned for Nov. 24 to help the town identify whether a single preferred option can be selected or whether additional time in feasibility is required.

Staff cautioned that MSBA timelines constrain downstream governance steps. If the town submits its PSR in mid‑December (current plan), the MSBA’s review schedule drives when voters see a final ballot question and whether that ballot requires the town to present conditional approvals (for example, if zoning, Article 97 or NEPA reviews are incomplete). Select Board members asked staff to provide clarity about the consequences of delaying MSBA submission (for example, how a delay would affect a potential 2026 ballot) and whether a wound‑up MSBA vote would be conditional if site controls or Article 97 items remain unresolved.

The board repeatedly asked for “fully loaded” cost estimates that capture on‑site construction plus off‑site mitigation and secondary costs: field replacement, traffic mitigation, parking, zoning changes and any land‑transfer costs associated with DeFazio. Staff acknowledged MSBA rules limit which items are reimbursable under MSBA standards, but they committed to producing a comprehensive cost view that shows which elements the MSBA will and will not reimburse so voters and elected boards can see the full town fiscal impact.

Other process points: if DeFazio becomes the selected site, Article 97 and land‑transfer votes would be needed; those actions trigger a separate sequence that can include NEPA review. Staff said they will seek clarity from MSBA about whether NEPA could be triggered for Pollard site options as well. The school committee has requested that the Park & Recreation Commission begin discussions about potential land‑transfer terms related to DeFazio; the Select Board indicated willingness to participate in those discussions if they proceed.

What’s next: staff will circulate updated traffic, stormwater and cost data as it arrives; the board will open a warrant (anticipated Nov. 25) if the governance path requires it; staff told the board to expect further schedule implications if MSBA review is extended beyond current timelines.

Provenance: Pollard update and Select Board discussion (transcript 01:01:30–01:26:40).