Date: 8/4/2021
There have been letters published recently that I believe are giving a false tone to the discussion before Wilbraham in regards to a new senior center, and as a member of the Senior Center Building Committee I would like to clarify a few points.
The upcoming October vote is not about whether the senior center is built at Memorial School or behind Town Hall. Contrary to the tone of recent letters, this is not the question before us as taxpayers. The Feasibility Committee spent a great amount of time picking sites that might work for a new center. The town Selectmen chose 240R Springfield St. as the most appropriate site to place a new center. They voted for this property. As the Building Committee, our charge is to put a center on that site, not debate other places.
Our vote as a community is whether to build on Springfield Street or not build at all, plain and simple. That is what the warrant article will say. The town owns the site, it has been perked (percolation tested) for septic and an environmental impact study done. There have been discussions with Country Club of Wilbraham about parking lot placement and other issues. It is the most appropriate place for the seniorcenter our community requires.
Those in town who want to see the senior center placed at Memorial are ignoring some important points. The building is three times larger than we need, meaning triple the cost for heating, cooling, maintenance etc. Massachusetts law requires when you update any building beyond 30 percent of appraised value, you must bring the entire building up to code. A recent town study stated Memorial required $1.3 million just to keep it as is. That is the minimum just to keep it from falling into disrepair, not updating anything. A building study to see what is required to keep a building going as it stands is not the same as renovating it for a different use. I understand that folks have an emotional attachment to the site, but practicality and cost must take precedence.
It has been argued that a formal survey has not been done to see the cost of changing it to a senior center. It is not logical to ask the town (and us as taxpayers) to fund a study at close to $20,000 when an architect who specializes in senior centers, and has already been paid as a consultant, gives an educated opinion, without added cost, about Memorial in the course of his work. As an expert, his opinion should carry more weight than someone who feels the town is underutilizing a structure we already own. We as taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for another opinion just because some folks don’t agree with his experienced and educated assessment.
The Building Committee can be reached at Seniorinfo2021@gmail.com. You can also leave a voicemail at 596-2800 Ext. 315. We are glad to answer questions.
Diane Weston
Wilbraham
