Town takes ‘no action’ on article concerning Adult Center

March 27, 2019 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW – At the March 26 Special Town Meeting – which may have lasted a record low time at eight minutes – residents voted to take no action on the lone warrant article which was a citizen petition regarding the design of the towns new adult center, which is set to be break ground in June.

Resident Larry Star spoke before the town on behalf of the warrant article petitioner and moved to take no action on article one. He explained that the petitioner has asked that the article not be acted upon, upon reconsideration of what the article means.

The original wording of the article is as follows:

“To see if the Town will vote to affirm that the vote taken on Article 14 at the Annual Town meeting of May 8, 2018, was based in part upon a visual presentation made by John Catlin of Catlin + Petrovick Architects that presented a “program Menu” dated 23 March, 2018, of 25 individual areas containing 20,537 NSF (24644.40GSF) as well as the design layout. Layout A1.0 shows Level 1, Adult Center of 10,500 gsf AND the Gymnasium of 8,275gsf. The second floor is Level 2 (A1.3), of 5425gsf. There was no mention at any time during the article presentation that the town meeting vote was to be for other than for the plan as presented. Subsequent to town meeting, there have been major alterations to the approved design. I move the project continue as presented and approved by town meeting on May 8, 2018, or take any other action relative thereto.”

Following the article, the warrant provided a description which explained that at the May 8, 2018, Annual Town Meeting, Article 24 was voted on to raise and appropriate the sum of $14 million for the purposes of constructing and furnishing a new Council on Aging Facility. The petitioner then explained that the design shown in the presentation made at that meeting by Catlin + Petrovick Architects has significantly changed, and the petitioner sought to bind the Town “to the article’s intent.”

At the Special Town meeting, Star explained for the petitioner that at the May 8 Town Meeting residents “did their jobs” and appropriated the money, and now the individual committees can “do their thing.”

“Even if this motion were to pass, it has no effect, it doesn’t change anything, the money has been appropriated,” Star stated. “It simply doesn’t do anything other than get us all here tonight.”

Chairman of the Building Committee Mary Beth Bergeron then came before the Town and explained that all of the Adult Center Building Committee’s meeting minutes are on the towns website and that they have an open door policy, meaning anyone is able to attend the meeting. Bergeron then shared that the Committee’s charge with the adult center is to bring the project in on budget.

“We have a project that is ready to go out April 3. We’re hoping to open for bids in May, and to break ground in June. That’s our job, is to bring this project in on budget. That’s what you assigned us to do, that’s what we have done,” Bergeron said.

In addition, she explained that the square footage of the building is larger than what was called for in the warrant article and there will be a suspended walking track.

“The project is bigger and better than what you voted for. I think we’ve done our job,” Bergeron said.

The motion to take no action on the warrant article passed by majority affirmative vote.

Share this: