Price tag climbing for infrastructure
Two months after Mayor Setti Warren presented his $241 million roadmap for updating Newton’s deteriorating infrastructure, the costs of some building projects have already grown while others on the horizon could push the total price tag even higher.
Fixing the city’s fire stations could prove particularly costly because of new building code requirements.
“It’s always disconcerting to see a significant increase,’’ Alderman Brian Yates said after hearing an update last week on the city’s capital improvement plan.
For example, making the Lower Falls Community Center more handicapped accessible started out as a $94,000 project but now is estimated to cost $300,000.
Adding six classrooms, expanding the cafeteria, and installing a new sprinkler system at F.A. Day Middle School is projected to cost $7.4 million for design and construction, compared with the November estimate of $6.7 million.
The Board of Aldermen got a fresh look Wednesday night at the capital improvement plan covering about 40 high-priority projects that have already been incorporated in the city’s five-year budget.
Chief and most expensive among them is the replacement of Angier Elementary School, which was estimated in November to cost $23 million but is still “a moving target,’’ said Bob Rooney, the city’s chief operating officer. Newton will soon launch a feasibility study on the project.
Taken in total, including Angier, the update calls for a 15 percent increase in planned spending over the next five years, from $64 million to $74 million.
Alderman Lenny Gentile, chairman of the board’s Finance Committee, also said that consultants have suggested renovating and replacing fire stations could be more expensive because of new building codes that require more precautions against earthquakes.
“When you look at what has been budgeted, it will be a substantial increase,’’ Gentile said.
The capital plan hasn’t been adjusted to include those increases yet, because officials are still firming up the numbers.
Warren said he is pleased with the list of 376 large and small projects he presented in November. For the first time, the administration prioritized the infrastructure deficiencies in the city, including municipal and school buildings, roads, water and sewer pipelines, large vehicles, and parks and playgrounds.
But as staff members look more closely at the projects, they are refining time lines and costs so that officials can make better decisions, Warren said.
“This is the start of the process,’’ he said.
In addition to replacing Angier, the 40 high-priority projects include making repairs to Gath Pool, fixing fire stations in the Oak Hill and Newton Centre neighborhoods, and making repairs to City Hall. According to the city, some of the increased costs in the next two years can be absorbed because Newton is paying low interest rates on money it is borrowing.
The city is also saving money in other ways. For example, officials hadn’t budgeted for a feasibility study on Angier this year. But the Massachusetts School Building Association pushed the project up, and the officials want to use money from health care savings to fund the study.
Alderwoman Cheryl Lappin said she supports completing these needed projects while interest rates are low, but the city will have to consider either delaying other items or making some trade-offs in the long term.
“I was expecting to see a reprioritization of projects, because of the increased costs,’’ Lappin said. “I just want to make sure we’re looking at the big picture.’’
Alderwoman Ruthanne Fuller said she isn’t surprised that the city is identifying more projects and additional costs even after Warren presented his capital plan. Newton has plenty of unmet needs, Fuller said.
As the Board of Aldermen and city staff try to get a better handle on infrastructure needs, Warren is also holding community meetings hoping to get feedback from residents about the capital plan, and how to pay for some of the unfunded projects.
Officials have discussed asking voters for a debt exclusion override of Proposition 2 1/2 for some projects, including Angier. They are also examining a trash fee to free up money in the city’s day-to-day operating budget that could be spent on capital needs.
Warren is slated to present his plan to pay for the capital plan in September.
Deirdre Fernandes can be reached at deirdre.fernandes@ globe.com. 
