Please take the Winthrop site off the bargaining table for a combined elementary school
For close to 39 years now, our family has lived on Mineral Street, directly across from the walking path that leads into Winthrop Elementary. Both our now adult children were brought up in the Winthrop Elementary School. We have strong feelings of sentiment for this small neighborhood school of Winthrop Elementary and would truthfully prefer to maintain the 2 existing neighborhood schools of Winthrop and Doyon.
However, it appears, for various reasons given, that there is a stronger feeling from some that these two elementary schools should be merged into one mega 775 student population elementary school. Which we would support, if that is what is truly best for the children and the Town of Ipswich.
With that being said, we would support a combined elementary school at the Doyon site where there is: more available land for a building of this size, ample parking for all staff & visitors, a safer and less traffic congested location, no possible interference with our Fire Department, other Public Safety Vehicles, & First Responders.
We STRONGLY oppose and will not support this mega school being built on the Winthrop Site which is way too small…yet is mistakenly ……“on the table right now” as the chosen site by the School Committee & the School Building Committee. Besides Winthrop being way too small of an area for this 775 student mega school building, the Winthrop site would be compromising all the above mentioned reasons as to why we would favor the Doyon site.
In addition, if the plan continues forward for this mega school to be built at the Winthrop site, we feel that it will be showing a great deal of disrespect to all the numerous Abbutters in the Central Street, Mineral Street, historic High Street with all the older historic homes, Manning Street, and Warren Street areas to have, right on their property lines, the over shadowing of a 37 foot high, 3 story sprawling mega building with the additional 10 feet high Mechanicals added on top of that 37 feet.
Also, this will be very disrespectful to the dedicated teachers who will be forced to either walk from a remote location or be shuttled because there will not be ample parking at this Winthrop site.
Shame on the powers to be should it come to this!
Also, we would not support this mega school at Bialek Park…please leave this as it is and meant to be…a Town Park for all to enjoy. Also we would not support this mega school to be where the present Town Hall and COA, and playing fields are situated and where there is now lovely housing where the old jail used to be, along the banks of the Ipswich River.
We strongly urge that the Winthrop site be recognized as the wrong site and please change the direction for ALL Ipswich citizens…young, old, and older.
Thank you in advance for any consideration.
John “Jack” and Marion Quigley, Ipswich, MA
