Progress to date
Erosion controls have been installed and approved by the Conservation Commission.
Trees and stumps have been removed.
Topsoil has been removed, screened and removed from the site or stockpiled for future use.
Excavation of trenching and footings for the foundation began on Tuesday, September 10th.
Fence
A fence has been installed around the perimeter of the project. No one should attempt to enter the work area. The site remains visible through the fence so we can all continue to watch the progress.
Well
The well has been permitted by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Electricity
Construction Dynamics has installed a temporary pole so temporary power and internet can be brought to the site.
7/02/24 Update
Please join us for our Groundbreaking Celebration on Friday August 2, 2024 at 10AM. Here is a link where you can find all the details
6/15/24 Update
During our meeting on Wednesday, June 14, 2024, we reviewed and discussed the bids received for the construction of the new Shutesbury Public Library. Following the discussion, we voted to recommend the lowest bidder, Construction Dynamics, Inc., to the Selectboard. The Selectboard has since awarded the contract for the construction of our long-awaited library to Construction Dynamics.
There are several weeks of administrative work ahead before the contractor is fully on board and a groundbreaking can be scheduled. We hope to announce the date of the groundbreaking ceremony by mid-July.
Once again, we thank you for all your support and encouragement.
6/5/24 Update
We received the final Fuss & O'Neil Pumping Test Report for our well installation. See the link at the bottom of this page to read the full report. The conclusion is pumping test results demonstrate that the desired quantity and quality of potable water can be withdrawn safely and sustainably from the bedrock aquifer underlying the site. It is recommended that a point of entry treatment (POET) system be installed to reduce concentrations of radon.
5/16/24 Update
On April 24th, the library project was put out for bid. Currently, bids are due during the first week of June. The committee, along with our Owner's Project Manager (CMS) and Architect team (Oudens-Ello), will review the bids to select a contractor. Following this, we will proceed with contract negotiations and scheduling. Construction is expected to begin in July.
Regarding the well installation, Fuss & O'Neil, the well engineers, have completed the 24-hour well pump test necessary for permitting the public water supply. We will share the final pump test report as soon as it is received.
We are continuing to advance on this project and will keep you updated as new developments unfold.
2/20/24 Update
Through the fall and winter, we have been getting deep into the details of our building design making both small and large changes always keeping in mind our goal; to provide a library that meets our resident’s needs while being mindful of the budget. We have now completed the Design Development phase. Our architects are preparing Construction Documents which will be sent out for contractor bids in April. We’re very excited about the final design. You can find the latest power point presentation link at the bottom of this page.
In the meantime, we are meeting with town boards and department heads to review the current plan. The Board of Health has permitted our septic system, and the Conservation Commission has approved the Order of Conditions for our construction work. The Police Chief, Fire Chief, Highway Superintendent and Town Administrator have all given feedback that has helped us refine our plan.
The new Library’s well will be a public water supply, permitted by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. We are in the process of hiring a well driller and working with our well engineer from Fuss & O’Neil to complete the required testing and permitting. Thanks to our Highway Superintendent for helping with this process.
9/29/23 Update
A second public forum was held on September 26, 2023. We have added the power-point presentation to the documents at the bottom of this page. We will include the link to the YouTube recording of the event when it becomes available. Our next step is to go out for further cost estimates which we hope to have by mid-November.
8/4/23 Update
A second schematic design has been created and we have received new cost estimates. A summary of this can be accessed here. The new design drawings and site plan as of June 28, 2023 can be seen in detail (23 pages) here and a summary of the design schematic (5 pages) can be seen here.
5/9/23 Update
A schematic design has been created and sent out for initial pricing. You can access the document here. Our next meeting is scheduled for May 23rd where we should have initial pricing information.
3/25/23 Update.
In-person Community Forum on potential library design, Tuesday April 11th, 7PM, at the Shutesbury Elementary School. We are ready to share the developing schematic design in a public forum where you can give input into the developing plans for the new Shutesbury Library. Click here for slideshow presentation.
3/5/23 Update.
The Library Building Committee (LBC) is pleased to announce that Oudens Ello Architects (OEA) has been selected as the designer for the new Shutesbury Library. OEA has extensive experience with sustainable design, having designed libraries with Net Zero Energy systems.
The design process has begun with preliminary conversations about siting on Lot O-32 that is sensitive to the wetlands and maximizing roof space for solar panels. The next LBC meeting is March 21st at 7 pm.
We are planning a community forum in the spring to present preliminary design ideas to the community and gather input and ideas from the community.
We anticipate breaking ground in March of 2024 and opening our new library in the spring of 2025.
11/15 Update. In the past two months the committee has kept to its alternate Tuesday schedule.
In November the Selectboard signed a contract with Construction Monitoring Services (CMS) to be our Owner’s Project Manager (OPM). We now have a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) advertised for our Designer. Qualifications are due on November 22nd. We will review all submitted qualifications first in subcommittee meetings (Dec 1 and Dec 5) and then in full committee on December 6th. We will interview up to four candidates the following week. Our goal is to have a Designer under contract by the first of the year.
Environmental testing, under the guidance of the Department of Environmental Protection and Fuss and O’Neill, the Licensed Site Professional hired by the Town, continues. The Abbreviated Notice of Resource Area Delineation (ANRAD) process is also continuing. In response to comments from the peer reviewer hired by the Conservation Commission, Fuss and O’Neill completed additional wetland delineation investigations and is preparing a report.
We are planning to hold a Community Forum for residents to meet our OPM and Designer and get a full update on our progress in February.
9/26/22 update: The committee is committed to keeping the town informed of our activities and progress. We plan to meet every other Tuesday at 7PM on Zoom. We post our agenda and the zoom link on the town website.
We will continue to update this page, write periodic email blasts, post on NextDoor Shutesbury, and hold public listening sessions.
Our first task is to hire an Owner's Project Manager (OPM). The RFQ has been posted. We have a timeline that should have this task completed by November 1.
.png){kind=link}