Town Will Explore Future Use of Wildwood School Building

Report on the Meeting of the Joint Capital Planning Committee, March 4, 2026

This meeting was held over Zoom and was recorded.

Present
Cathy Schoen (District 1 Town Councilor, Chair), Andy Churchill (at large Town Councilor), Jill Brevik (District 1 Town Councilor), Bridget Hynes (Amherst School Committee), Lee Edwards and Eugene Goffredo (Library Trustees)

Staff: Sean Mangano (Finance Director) and Dave Ziomek (Assistant Town Manager)

Planning Director Asks for Funds to Plan for Future of Wildwood School
With Amethyst Brook, the new elementary school scheduled to open in the fall, new Planning and Economic Development Director Jeff Bagg has requested money to plan for the disposition of Wildwood School once it is empty.

Bagg originally requested $125,000 to gather community input and to hire an architect to advise on what can be done to modify the building and what it would cost. “This is a huge priority,” Bagg said. “This really should start as soon as possible.” He said he has overseen similar processes in Easthampton and on Cape Cod, and it can take years to plan and complete a reuse plan. 

The suggested town budget reduced his request to $50,000, which Bagg said was not enough to develop a plan, so he suggested combining that amount with the $75,000 budgeted for site readiness planning, since the Wildwood site is the most urgent. 

Since Fort River was chosen as a site for the new elementary school, residents have suggested many future uses for Wildwood, but no general discussion has occurred. Among the ideas for use of the school are a new senior center, a youth empowerment center, and a BIPOC cultural center. The site has also been suggested for more housing. 

Town Councilor Cathy Schoen noted that the site is 14 acres and has water, sewer, and a parking lot. She said it offers a lot of opportunity, and the town should not “let it sit for a number of years to let nature take its course with the building.” She admitted that when the Elementary School Building Committee studied the building, it cited the need to fix the roof, windows and HVAC system among other repairs. 

In addition to the community outreach, Assistant Town Manager Dave Ziomek said that the Town Manager would most likely appoint an ad hoc committee to evaluate the possibilities for the site. 

Bagg Prioritizes Economic Development Plan for Town
Bagg’s foremost priority for next year is to create an economic development plan for Amherst. He noted that the data is from 2018, and even that is incomplete. He stressed that an updated plan is needed to understand current market conditions—what new businesses would do well in town and how the town can best support existing businesses. He has asked for $100,000 for a consultant to collect and compile the data and develop a plan to move forward. 

Bagg said that the town does not even have a “welcome package” for new businesses and is coordinating with the Business Improvement District and the Chamber of Commerce to create one. Amherst does have  a strategic partnership with UMass, but the town does not have the data to show the best way the university can support the town. 

He stated that more housing is also important and is needed to support the businesses and contribute to the tax base, but the town has done more planning for housing, so hiring the consultant for businesses should be of primary importance.

Roof Repair Is Top Priority for Facilities Manager
Facilities Manager Jeremiah LaPlante requested $1 million for urgent repairs to town buildings. He oversees the 14 town-owned buildings, and noted that several of them need new roofs, with Town Hall first among them. Other buildings in need of new roofs are the North Amherst Fire Station, the North Amherst School, and the Bangs Center. Eleven of the buildings need major repairs. 

LaPlante said he likes to have designs for several projects, so that he is ready to move on them when the money becomes available. He works closely with Sustainability Director Stephanie Ciccarello to incorporate sustainability factors, such as weatherization and insulation, in all projects. He also considers accessibility and code compliance in determining what building improvements to undertake. 

He has 10 projects on his priority list, but the total to complete them is over $15 million. However, he is hopeful that with the Community Preservation Act funds and his current budget, the red slate roof on Town Hall can be replaced at one time. 

Town Councilor Andy Churchill asked if there were less expensive roofing options than slate. LaPlante replied that no other material is as durable as the slate, and that he does not think other choices, such as asphalt, synthetic slate, or metal, are appropriate for historic buildings like Town Hall and the North Amherst School. 

Conservation Department Plans Focus on Puffer’s Pond and War Memorial
According to Ziomek, the first phase of a multi-year plan to improve Puffer’s Pond centers on safety measures, including strengthening the dam and dike. The town obtained a grant to study the condition of the dam and dike and learned that the dam is in fair condition, but the earthen dike is in poor condition. Decisions about trail and beach improvements and whether to dredge the pond will be made in the future.

Ziomek added that the town is also studying the area around the War Memorial Pool to decide what kind of amenities to have once the bathhouse has been renovated—playgrounds, ball courts, etc. 

The town will be applying for grants for both of these major projects.

Joint Capital Planning Committee Will Deliberate on Capital Budget on March 18
On March 11, the Joint Capital Planning Committee (JCPC) will discuss IT, Recreation Department, and school requests for capital projects. They will then make a recommendation to the Town Manager after the March 18 meeting. 

The proposed capital budget for FY27 may be viewed here.