Board of Finance: Architect Shouldn't Study Senior Center at Leroy

The Board of Finance is in favor of moving forward with a $23,500 architectural study of the proposed Senior Center shuffle, but it says the scope of the prospective analysis may be too broad.

Thursday evening's meeting saw the Board of Finance table the transfer in the interest of meeting with the Senior Center's program directors first.

The Board of Selectmen voted to appropriate the necessary funds for the architectural analysis on March 22. If the Board of Finance approves in mid-April, the study will provide the town with designs and preliminary construction costs for any number of options recommended by the Facilities Study Task Force:

1. Moving the Senior Center to the Board of Education space at Town Hall
2. Moving the Senior Center to the former library at 35 Leroy Ave.
3. Moving the board of Education to the former library at 35 Leroy Ave.

In an informal discussion Thursday evening with Selectman and Task Force Chair Jayme Stevenson, the Board of Finance said option two, moving the Senior Center to 35 Leroy Ave., should be scrapped.

"I think it probably makes more sense to move [the Senior Center] to Town Hall than it does to Leroy," said Vice Chair Martha Banks, citing a number of synergies unique to the Renshaw Road space.

If an architect were to look at an alternative home for the Senior Center, perhaps plans for new building at Edgerton Street should be revisited, Banks said.

Elizabeth Smith Mao agreed that the Senior Center "doesn't seem to be a common sense result" for 35 Leroy Ave.

Option three, converting part of the former library property to office space for the Board of Education, isn't a great idea either, Mao said.

 "I see these as financial assets that can be moved around, and there's nothing that says we have to keep 35 Leroy and use it for something," said Mao. "The best use is to sell it."

The town first purchased the $4.2 property at 35 Leroy Ave. in 2007 and has spent over $25,000 on running the empty building each year to date—plus bonding.

Stevenson disagreed with the proposal to put the municipal building on the market. Property values are too low, she said.

"But I don't think this architect needs to spend much time looking at 35 Leroy [as a senior center]," said Stevenson. "It's far too large for any one entity." 

From his seat at the Town Hall, Joe Duwan said, "This is really the only facility that could encompass a broader community center that would get the town excited."

Lorene Bora was the sole Board of Finance member who expressed disinterest in the studying any of the options.

"I still have the basic issue that we've spent tens of thousands of dollars studying capital projects that we've had no movement on. This I find very troublesome," Bora said.

The study should bring some movement, said Chair Murry Stegelmann.

"I do have a preference of studying this in detail," said Stegelmann. "I would like to see some progress. If we did this it would be this much easier to come to a conclusion."

The Board of Finance plans to meet with Sue Swiatek and Beth Paris of the Senior Center in mid-April before voting on the transfer.