WILBRAHAM – The Senior Center Feasibility Committee’s top rated site for a new senior center, 758V Main St., located behind Christ the King Lutheran Church, may not be viable to build on due to wetlands on the property.

Director of Elder Affairs Paula Dubord told Reminder Publications she and a committee member conducted an informal walkthrough of the site alongside a soils biologist, who volunteered his time to examine the area, which revealed the preliminary findings.

“Going through the property he felt that there’s a lot of wetlands in there and we’re kind of just now determining as a committee how we want to go forward with it,” she explained. “Do we want to do an official study? Right now we’re trying to see what it would cost to do an official walkthrough and flagging of the property. We’ve been told it costs thousands of dollars.”

Senior Center Feasibility Committee Chair Dennis Lopata said the committee has reached out to architect John Catlin to determine the cost of an official walkthrough.

Lopata said the committee cannot appropriate funds and would need to meet with the Board of Selectmen to request money for an official walkthrough, provided the amount is “reasonable.”

He noted he would consider under $2,000 to be reasonable.

The Friends of the Wilbraham Seniors made a commitment in September 2015 to purchase the 7.26-acre site for $139,000.

Dubord said the Friends have yet to pay for the property, but did place a deposit to purchase the location. The Friends have until August 2017 to buy the parcel.

Lopata said the committee is back to “ground zero,” adding it vetted several properties and now would potentially have to go back to the original list to find a new top site.

“It’s part of the process that we need to go through,” he noted. “We want to make sure every stone is turned over in terms of looking at all options that are available to us and ensuring that we are getting the best possible site for our seniors.”  

He added the committee did not pursue sites such as the Mile Tree Elementary School ball field and did not formally examine school buildings such as Stony Hill and Memorial Elementary Schools.

The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District would likely need to approve the buildings to be utilized for a new senior center, he explained.

Lopata said three to four acres is the minimal amount of land required for the project. The senior center would be 14,000 to 17,000 square feet. Approximately 110 parking spots would be required.

Dubord said the ideal location would be a central area in town with utilities such as sewer, gas, and water included.

The 758V Main St. property does not include sewer.

The committee was planning to bring the project forward to the May 2017 Annual Town Meeting, but depending on the findings for the 758V Main St. location, the project might not make it to next year’s Town Meeting.  

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