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Date: 3/22/2022
SOUTHAMPTON – David “Red” Parsons passed away last year and willed money to the town for a new senior center. Officials of the Council on Aging (COA) didn’t learn until last month the bequest was for $2.5 million.
Now, the COA has the task of reaching a “final plan” for a new center in 14 months. Joan Linnehan, director of the COA, explained to the Selectboard that the gift comes with a two year window for completion of a study and plans for the new center.
“Given the time-sensitive nature of the bequest, two years from the date of death, the COA Board Chair Janet Cain formed an exploratory committee, a subcommittee of the COA board, to identify preliminary issues,” Linnehan said.
The group included Linnehan and Cain, COA board member Jonathan Jay, Darcie Gasperini, a friend of Parsons, Selectboard member Maureen Groden, and Ron Laurin, the town’s building commissioner. The group met seven times between October and March 3 of this year. At the March 15 Selectboard meeting, Linnehan began by emphasizing the need for a new senior center.
“Of our approximately 6,000 Southampton residents, 2,000 are over 60, a third of our population,” Linnehan said. “We currently have 2,000 square feet of space to conduct business. Attendance has tripled.”
The exploratory committee visited senior centers in Erving, Hadley and South Hadley. Linnehan hinted at the wide range of options by mentioning the nine senior centers built in the area in the last 15 years. Longmeadow’s senior center features an indoor walking track and pickleball facilities.
The exploratory committee, formed in October 2021, began by clarifying the issues that must be addressed to begin the process of locating a suitable property in town, which may include a town-owned property, or the building of a new senior center. Cain and Linnehan came before the board to request the formation of an ad hoc committee to draw up a request for proposals (RFP).
The use of town-owned properties was a sticking point, as were the source of monies to pay expenses. Board member Jon Lumbra was careful to make sure the new ad hoc committee would also have board oversight before any consultants were hired.
“We let the Public Safety Building Committee go so far as to go out for bids,” Lumbra said. “But under this charge, there is no yellow light … There’s no check back in with us. I would advocate for that.”
Cain reassured the board that consultants with the necessary expertise in real estate development, construction and planning would be secured, since members of the exploratory committee do not have relevant expertise. Lumbra was also concerned the COA has no available funds to pay expenses.
“Based on our discussion with the lawyer, for the estate,” Cain replied, “there will be money designated to us, whether we make that deadline or not. So we will have money from them for this feasibility study … According to the will, we would get 25 percent of the final number. We made sure we got that.”
Board member Maureen Groden, already involved in the process, motioned to create the Ad Hoc Senior Center Building Feasability Committee. Cain described the new committee’s mandate is to determine the size and layout of a new senior center; identify suitable town-owned properties, which may include expansion of the current senior center; decide on key and secondary elements for the design; work with the town administrator to draw up a bid package; and come up with figures for design and construction costs.
Lumbra then made a motion to create the lineup for the new ad hoc committee. The board approved a membership including a Selectboard member, Cain as the COA board chair, and five volunteers from the community. Town Administrator Ed Gibson and Linnehan will be ex-officio non-voting members. Selectboard member Maureen Groden was voted by the board to be its representative.
Interested community members will find a form on the town website to fill out and submit for membership on the new ad hoc committee. The membership form must be submitted by March 23 for consideration.
The final cost of a new senior center was not discussed, though Lumbra sought more transparency from the committee. After being involved in the construction of the senior center in Holyoke, he foresees some funding will come from the tax base. Lumbra said,“At some point we’re going to face the voters.”
Cain said the end cost of the new center cannot be determined at this point.
“Not until we have our feasibility study,” she said. “It depends on the size we decide on, and the location … It’s a good downpayment.”