2001-2005-SENIOR CENTER BUILDING COMMITTEE

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TOWN OF MASHPEE SENIOR CENTER BUILDING COMMITTEE MINUTES OF THE 2112/01 ABUTTERS' MEETING Committee Attendees: Abutter Attendees: Iry Goldberg Bob and Jane Crowley Ed Adams Warren&Joan Feamley Betty Nichols Dottie Hiltz Jean Noussee Mert Sapers Marty Henry Art Weinstein James Long Wayne Taylor Committee Chairman Iry Goldberg called the meeting to order at 7:03 PM. Iry extended a welcome to the residents from Snead Drive, which abuts the proposed location of the new Senior Center. Iry reviewed the activity of the Committee since its inception in January 2002, beginning with the search for, and consideration of available land sites in Mashpee. The committee also visited other Senior Centers in the area, to get ideas as to what would be appropriate for a location like the one we are considering, that would support the needs of our community. After looking at a half dozen sites in Mashpee, the Committee established that the Fire Station locality was the most appropriate site. It was determined that the existing Senior Center site, the only other feasible site, was too cramped. There is insufficient land to build a new Center at the current site without tearing down the existing building. Other groups in Mashpee, such as Human Services, hope to make use of the existing Center, which will enable them to discontinue renting space. The current Center does not support the needs of the community. It is multilevel,with no usable elevator, making it inaccessible for many senior citizens. Safety, utility and expandability are qualities that are missing from the current Center. The issues taken into consideration in the selection of the new site were: traffic, basic location, and ease of building construction. The high school location,for example, was ruled out as a possibility because it would be too costly in infrastructure, i.e., roads, power, etc. The Selectmen are pushing the project to straighten the access road from Rt. 151 to the fire station. The road modification will provide access to the fire station, the police station, the Boys and Girls Club and the new Senior Center. The traffic light on Rt. 151 will be relocated as well. The Board of Selectmen, on 02/22/02, reviewed and accepted the RFP presented by the Senior Center Building Committee for distribution to bidders on an architectural design of the building. It will be put out for bids this week, with a 03/08/02 response deadline. The target date for completion of the engineering plans for the new Center is October 2002, in time for presentation to the Town Meeting. Cost of the projected new Center is$2.1 million with funds to be raised with a bond issue. The building will have 12,000 square feet, double the size of the current Center. The Recording Secretary read a letter received from Sandy Borstein, a Snead Drive resident who was unable to attend the meeting. The letter indicated her feeling that the proposed new senior center site behind the fire station was a poor choice. Many traffic accidents occur at the intersection of Jobs Fishing Road and Rt. 151. Accessing the proposed new senior center site