North School set for toxic assessment

The North School which was closed down over 20 years ago will soon undergo a contaminants evaluation as the first step towards one day re-opening the building as a community center.

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The North School Preservation Society, Inc., is pleased to announce that toxic assessment site work will soon begin on the old North Springfield Elementary School.

The building was constructed circa 1909 and operated as a school until the late 1980's. The building is no longer in operation and is used for temporary storage. There are 5.5 acres at the site that are currently being used as public recreation fields and winter skating area. A concrete warming hut is located on the site as well. The site contains a 25-year old 5,000 gallon underground storage tank (UST), single-walled with no leak detection system. In addition, because of the age of the building, there may exist asbestos containing materials (ACM) and lead. Redevelopment of the property will be refined based on funding and public input, but will likely include a community center with classroom space, rental capabilities, stage performances, summer camp, and cafeteria. The recreational fields will remain as such.

Recently the voters of Springfield approved a Town Meeting ballot to convey the school and its adjoining playground, soccer field, skating rink and property from the Springfield School District to the newly formed North School Preservation Society, Inc. The Society's goal is to restore the school building and preserve the playground and property for community use and recreation.

In the first stage of this effort, members of the North School Preservation Society recently met with representatives from the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission (SWCRPC) and the State of Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Waste Management Division with the intention of evaluating the needs and requirements of the building for reuse.

As a result of that meeting and the subsequent evaluation, SWCRPC has received EPA approval for Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA). The SWCRPC is currently in the process of reviewing proposals for the completion of a Phase I ESA by a qualified environmental consultant which will then be referred to its Brownfields Steering Committee for final selection. All of the funding for this assessment will be provided by the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission using an Environmental Protection Agency assessment grant.

KAS, Inc. of Williston, VT has just been awarded the contract to conduct the assessment which will take place this summer.

This project is an important first phase in assessing and planning for potential environmental concerns at the school so that it may then be restored and developed for public use and enjoyment. The assessment work is expected to begin this summer and will be followed by a plan to remove and dispose of any environmentally hazardous materials in and around the building.

For further information, contact Francine Provost, President of the North School Preservation Society, Inc. at 802-388-1186 or April Harkness at the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission at 802-674-9201.