Community Meeting Notice: Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper School
The City of Cambridge invites you to a public meeting to discuss the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools Project on
Wednesday, February 12th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Tobin School Auditorium.
This will be the fifth community meeting to discuss the project. Previous meetings included geotechnical and environmental discussions, brainstorming sessions, presentation of conceptual design options, programming information and community feedback response.
At this meeting, the City’s architect, Perkins-Eastman, and City officials will be:
- Responding to the comments received since the last community meeting on 1/16
- Presenting a preferred option
- Answering questions and listening to feedback and comments in order to refine the preferred option and location
Selecting a preferred option as the project moves into the “Schematic Design Phase”, allows the team to provide better-informed responses to questions about traffic, open space, cost, and handling of hazardous soils.
This does not indicate this is the final design. Additional community meetings will be held during this process so that we can continue to receive feedback and refine the design. We encourage the community to continue to provide feedback as we go through the Schematic Design Phase. Please submit comments to
kriley@cambridgema.gov or
citymanager@cambridgema.gov .
Comments and responses received so far in the process can be found on the project page under the “Documents” tab –
www.cambridgema.gov/TobinSchool .
We encourage you to attend as we value feedback from residents and the school community.
Comments and responses received 11/13/2019-1/16/2020 have been posted to the "Documents" tab of this page.
Community Meeting Notice: Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper School
The City of Cambridge invites you to a public meeting to discuss the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools Project on Thursday, January 16th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Tobin School Auditorium - 197 Vassal Lane.
This will be the fourth community meeting to discuss the reconstruction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper School. Previous meetings included geotechnical and environmental discussions, brainstorming sessions and presentation of conceptual design options.
At this meeting, the City’s architect, Perkins-Eastman, and City officials will be:
- Reviewing the comments received
- Discussing the programming needs of the school community
- Discussing the traffic management plans and reviewing traffic data
- Presenting design revisions based on the comments received
- Reviewing the design schedule and next steps
Community members are invited to continue to submit comments as part of the community process until January 3rd. Comments can be submitted to kriley@cambridgema.gov or citymanager@cambridgema.gov. Community member will also have an opportunity at the meeting to ask questions, provide feedback and share ideas. We encourage you to attend as we value feedback from residents and the school community.
Information and Assistance
To receive future updates via email regarding this project, please contact Kate Riley at kriley@cambridgema.gov / 617-349-4870. To view more information on this project such as updates, documents, and more, please visit www.cambridgema.gov/TobinSchool.
Public comment period extended to Friday, January 3rd.
Please send all comments to kriley@cambridgema.gov. Comments will be submitted to the project team and posted to the site. Responses will be updated as they become available.
Presentation from the 12/2 Round Table Discussion has been added to the "Documents" tab
Public Comments Added
Public comments received both at the 11/13 meeting and via email after the meeting have been posted to the site. Under the "Documents" tab, you will find the comments compiled into categories and the responses that have been given so far. PLEASE NOTE: not all comments have a response. This is a living document that will be update as we receive comments from the appropriate entity.
A new tab has been created call "Public Comments" that will contain all of the emails that we've received from the public regarding the project.
The following email was sent on Thursday, November 14th.
Thank you to all who attended the meeting last night. It was great to see such a large turnout from the school community and the neighborhood. We received a tremendous amount of helpful feedback from the various breakout groups that will help inform the design of the project and the decision-making process.
We are committed to providing additional opportunities, both formal and informal, to offer feedback and ask questions with both the school community and the public. We are planning to schedule an additional community meeting in December or January to further review the three design options, along with the feedback we have received.
Details about these opportunities will be forthcoming once they have been scheduled.We hope you can attend to continue the discussion of Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper School Reconstruction.
In the meantime, the documents presented at the meeting are available on the project page under the “Documents” tab. Once all of the comments have been compiled, they will be available for review on the project page.
Please send your comments, questions or feedback to Kate Riley – kriley@cambridgema.gov who will ensure they are submitted as part of the community process. The public comment period will be open until December 15.
Community Meeting Notice: Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools
The City of Cambridge invites you to a public meeting to discuss the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools Project on Wednesday, November 13th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Tobin School Auditorium. Childcare will be provided.
The City’s architect, Perkins-Eastman, and City officials will be presenting the community with three conceptual design options for the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools.
Community members will have an opportunity to ask questions, provide feedback and share ideas about these design options. We encourage you to attend as we value feedback from residents and the school community.
Information and Assistance:
To receive future updates via email regarding this project, please contact Kate Riley at kriley@cambridgema.gov / 617-349-4870.
July 9, 2019
As part of the process to redevelop the Tobin and Vassal Lane Upper Schools, the City’s consultant, CDM Smith will be performing additional investigatory work on-site beginning the week of July 22nd. This work is anticipated to last for up to 10 days. Work hours are 7AM-5PM.
This work will include drilling test pits in three locations at the back of the school and on Callahan Playground as part of the feasibility study (see image below). No decisions have been made about the location of the school, but these subsurface investigations will aid the architects, Perkins Eastman, as they develop design options for the school. Each test pit is expected to take 2-3 days.
Traffic and street parking will not be impacted, but it will be loud at times.
For safety, the large playground behind the school will be closed during work hours for 2-3 days while crews work on the test pit location at the entrance to the playground. The tot lot will remain open, but it will be loud and visitors should use caution when navigating the area.
Coordination with the Department of Human Services and the Parks Department has ensured that there will be no interruption to playground use for camps and scheduled field use.
Information and Assistance:
For questions regarding this work, please contact Kate Riley, Community Relations Manager, 617-349-4870 / kriley@cambridgema.gov. To view more information on this project such as updates, documents, etc., please visit www.CambridgeMA.gov/TobinSchool.
May 30, 2019
All of the feedback received from the April 30th meeting has been posted under the “Documents” tab of this project page.
The documents are:
- Community Feedback Responses_04302019: this document is a summary of all of the questions and feedback that was given during the meeting categorized by topic. The questions and comments are listed in black text and the responses from the team are listed in red text.
- Pictures of Feedback Boards: at the meeting, breakouts were formed by topic and questions and comments were gathered. These are the pictures of the boards for each breakout group showing each individual piece of feedback given.
- Parks Playgrounds Landscape and Storm Water Feedback Board: an aerial image of the site that was marked up by the Parks, Playgrounds, Landscape and Storm Water breakout group.
- NEW TOBIN LETTER: written feedback submitted on 5/1 by a member of the community.
Thank you to all who attended and provided thoughtful feedback. This is an important part of the feasibility work that is taking place now in advance of the design stage. We look forward to reconvening in the fall to present a minimum of three design options to the community.
The presentation from the April 30th Community Meeting can now be found under the "Documents" tab.
Information for Neighbors & Community Members
April 16, 2019: Notice: Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper School - Community Meeting
The City of Cambridge invites you to a public meeting to discuss the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools Project on Tuesday, April 30th from 6:30PM-8PM at the Tobin School Cafeteria.
This meeting will be an opportunity for residents to meet the design team from Perkins Eastman and to learn about the investigatory work they’ve done so far. In addition, residents will have the opportunity to break into small groups to brainstorm and provide feedback.
We encourage you to attend, to learn more about the project, ask questions and provide feedback to the City as we continue the process of redesigning the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools. We look forward to working with residents and the school community throughout the project.
Information and Assistance
To receive future updates via email regarding this project, please contact Kate Riley at kriley@cambridgema.gov / 617-349-4870. To view more information on this project such as updates, documents, and more, please visit www.cambridgema.gov/TobinSchool.
February 28, 2019
On Tuesday, February 26th, the City Council and School Committee held a round table/working meeting to discuss plans for the Tobin/VLUS school design and construction process. To view that meeting, please click here.
January 29, 2019
On Tuesday, February 26th at 5:30PM there will be a Roundtable/Working Meeting between the City Council and the School Committee for the purpose of discussing plans for the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools design and construction process. This meeting will be televised. Please see "Documents" tab for more information.
Information for Neighbors & Community Members
January 25, 2019: Notice: Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper School - Community Meeting
The City of Cambridge invites you to the first public meeting to discuss the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools Project on Wednesday, February 6th from 6:30PM-8PM at the Tobin School Auditorium.
This initial meeting will be an opportunity for residents and the school community to learn more about the site’s history, the current subsurface geotechnical and environmental conditions and the implication of these factors on design, soil remediation and reconstruction. The City’s Licensed Site Professional (LSP) and geotechnical consultant, CDM/Smith, will present findings from initial exploratory efforts that have taken place over the past 18 months and discuss how this information relates to the design strategies and construction process.
At this meeting the City will also be introducing the selected architect for the project, Perkins Eastman, who also was the designer of the Dr. Martin Luther King Lower School and Putnam Avenue Upper School.
We encourage you to attend, to learn more about the project, ask questions and provide feedback to the City as we begin the process associated with the reconstruction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Schools. We look forward to working with residents and the school community throughout the project.
December 4, 2018
The Selection Committee has chosen Perkins Eastman architect firm for the design of the Tobin School. They were the highest ranked firm of the five firms interviewed and will now prepare a Feasibility Study proposal fee for the project. Perkins Eastman was the architect firm for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Putnam Ave Upper Schools.
August 23, 2018
Over the past several months, the City has been conducting a geotechnical and environmental investigation at 197 Vassal Lane in preparation of the construction of the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools, and the Department of Human Services Programs.
Since the location of both the existing school and field was a former clay pit that was used as a municipal dump site, the school and field are regulated under the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP). There is a Permanent Solution on the property with an Activity & Use Limitation (AUL) supporting its current use as a school and playground.
We were asked by the School Department to specifically consider whether it is feasible (or advisable) for the students to stay in the existing school during construction (as a “no-swing” space alternative). Our environmental consultants, CDM Smith, investigated this request and have provided a recommendation based on their results.
The conclusion of the analysis is a recommendation that students be relocated to a swing space so that the building is unoccupied during construction. This is based first and foremost on safety and public health concerns for students remaining within the site limits where remediation activities are being conducted associated with the former dump site. There are also additional impacts that may make it difficult for students to remain in the existing building. These are outlined in the summarizing memorandum under the "Documents" tab.
We are currently finalizing the complete report on the geotechnical and environmental investigation. When the report is complete, we will be scheduling a public meeting.
The next steps for the complex are to select a design team for the project and to conduct a feasibility study, understanding program needs, evolving siting options, and estimated costs in order to make a recommendation on the preferred alternative for the school. In the feasibility study, we expect to evaluate renovations to the existing facility or a portion thereof, or demolish and reconstruct on the existing location or in the field area. The designer selection process will begin in September.
July 11, 2017
As part of the process to redevelop the Tobin and Vassal Lane Upper Schools, a Concept Plan of a school layout shall be performed to determine the siting options to construct a new school facility. No decisions have been made on the location of the school, however geotechnical and environmental services are required to evaluate all siting options. These services will provide data for the future designer (architect) to evaluate all site options during a forthcoming Feasibility Study.
Generally, data will be collected by drilling test borings at key locations on the site, and shall include installation of groundwater monitoring wells to characterize and evaluate impacted groundwater and establish seasonal water elevation fluctuations. Environmental soil and groundwater analytical samples will be collected to evaluate the challenges of removal and/or capping of waste materials, and to evaluate how to remediate groundwater issues related to vapor intrusion during active construction and dewatering activities.
It is anticipated that this work will be completed by mid-year 2018.
In the coming weeks, you will begin to see activity in and around the Callanan Field area to perform environmental and site assessments. We expect to have these results later this summer and plan to schedule a community meeting in the fall to discuss the findings, next steps for the project, and solicit feedback from stakeholders.
While no decisions about the future Tobin and Vassal Lane Upper Schools project, location, design, etc. have been made at this time, we encourage stakeholders to begin their involvement in the planning process by visiting the project website at www.CambridgeMA.gov/TobinSchool and signing up for our email distribution list for announcements and updates under the “Contact” tab on the project page.
Information and Assistance:
To receive future updates via email regarding this project, please contact Dan Riviello at driviello@cambridgema.gov or 617.349.4825. To view more information on this project such as updates, documents, etc., please visit www.CambridgeMA.gov/TobinSchool.
The Cambridge Public Schools’ Innovation Agenda will result in the creation new upper school campuses serving students in grades 6 to 8. The Tobin and Vassal Lane Upper Schools, located at 197 Vassal Lane, Cambridge, will be the third school to be redesigned.
The Cambridge Public Schools’ Innovation Agenda will result in the creation of four new upper school campuses serving students in grades 6 to 8. The Tobin and Vassal Lane Upper Schools, located at 197 Vassal Lane, Cambridge, will be the third school to be redesigned.