Despite impassioned concerns about tax impacts, voters in Lanesborough gave the go-ahead to a $65 million renovation of the Mount Greylock Regional School.With about half of the town’s voters turning out Tuesday, Lanesborough approved taking on more than $10 million in debt payments to pay for the project by about 130 votes. Williamstown’s debt exclusion vote earlier this month passed overwhelmingly, but people concerned about the project’s financial impact waged a more concerted effort in Lanesborough. Mark Schiek of Lanesborough chairs the district’s building committee. He says he was pleasantly surprised by the margin, thinking it would have been closer.
“It’s really due to a lot of hard work of individuals in the community getting out there and getting facts and information out to the voters and bringing them over to our side,” Schiek said. “Convincing them that it is the right thing for Lanesborough, Williamstown and the northwestern Berkshire County area.”
Two of Lanesborough’s three selectmen publicly opposed the project while the Finance Committee approved it 3-2. Of the roughly 900 voters who responded to a survey on the project, 435 urged the town’s Selectmen to oppose it. Most of the concerns were financial. As a result of the project, the annual tax impact would be between $353 and $393, based on the average Lanesborough home valued at $217,000. In Williamstown that range is $505 to $570 based on the average home valued at $356,000.
Bob Barton, a former Lanesborough selectman and school committee member, says he spent about $1,000 on signs and informational packets urging a “no” vote. A pro-renovation group reportedly spent thousands of dollars as well. Barton said the project should be put on hold until a countywide task force, formed to study potential district sharing, issues recommendations.
“I expect the result will make Williamstown happy and that will make them less likely to collaborate on dealing with the broader issues that we’ve all talked about,” Barton said. And without them I think it’s a loss for the whole county. The issues I’m talking about are the enrollment decline and cost increases relative to the schools.”
Barton also called for adjusted cost-sharing between the towns. The effort to renovate the 1960s-era school on Cold Spring Road in Williamstown started about a decade ago. Schiek and other school officials held numerous meetings detailing a growing financial burden caused by the school’s current state, urging community members to utilize approved state money for a renovation.
“It’s inefficient,” Schiek said. “It’s oversized. Poor heating and ventilation. There’s moisture and indoor air quality problems. There’s no ADA-compliance in the building, really.”
Under the plan, the district would pay between $31 and $35 million with the Massachusetts School Building Authority picking up the rest. Williamstown is slated to pay two-thirds of the district cost and Lanesborough one-third determined by a recently updated agreement regarding the number of students from each community. The school’s public areas like the gym and auditorium will be taken down to the studs and renovated while a new three-story academic wing will be built, according to Schiek.
“We know we’re moving forward with the building project as it stands, but we also realize there’s a lot of work ahead of us,” Schiek said.”We have a responsibility to maintain our fiscal goals and make sure we’re doing things right. We also have a very aggressive, but achievable timeline in front of us.”
Work is expected to start this summer. The current school will remain open with the updated building slated to open in fall 2018.
