ROCKPORT — The Council on Aging voted unanimously to support the establishment of a senior center in the town-owned Community House building last week. The vote followed a Board of Selectmen decision earlier this month to designate a significant portion of the historic structure exclusively for use as a senior center.
Located at Five Corners, just down the street from the senior center's cramped location in the High School Apartments building on Broadway, the Community House will be completely renovated before the Council on Aging moves in.
Town Administrator Michael Racicot said he received a letter of support from the Council on Aging on Oct. 27. Racicot said the Department of Public Works has agreed to create a "Design Subcommittee," which will include Building Study Committee representatives Racicot and Gwen Stephenson, as well as four members of the Council on Aging.
Racicot said local architect and Building Study Committee member Jack Campbell and Council on Aging Director Diane Bertolino have both expressed an eagerness to get the project started, adding everyone shares the ultimate goal of "giving the people of Rockport a senior center everyone will be happy with."
The first design subcommittee meeting has yet to be scheduled, but Racicot said he expects it to take place this month.
Selectmen Chairman Sarah Wilkinson said she was excited to receive the letter from the Council on Aging.
"I have spoken with (Council on Aging Chairman) Roger Lesch and let him know how happy I was to receive it," Wilkinson said, yesterday. "I am now anxious to get started with all involved in the next steps of the Community House renovations and excited to take an active role in the process."
Attempts to contact Bertolino and Lesch were unsuccessful yesterday.
Racicot said the goal was to allow the architects enough time to complete cost estimate materials and plans in enough time for a funding vote to be conducted at spring Town Meeting, but added, at this point, he doesn't see the plans getting done quickly enough for that to occur.
As a historic building, the Community House would qualify for Community Preservation funding for renovations. The town could also apply for a Community Development Block Grant — which Racicot said the town intends to do — or use money from the sale of the former Carnegie Library building.
Overall, the seniors will inherit 2,200 square feet of exclusive space between the first and second floors and an additional 1,230 square feet of shared space on the first floor. The building will also be brought up to code, receive an elevator and be completely handicap accessible.
"I really think that in the end, a renovated Community House will be a big asset to the entire town," Wilkinson said.
Though the Council on Aging had requested exclusive use of the Community House in 2005, it was not the group's first choice this year. Lesch and Bertolino both pushed selectmen to support moving the senior center into the Granite Savings Bank building, also located on Broadway, instead. However, selectmen opted to hold a special election on Nov. 25 to see if the town would purchase the building for general municipal uses through a debt exclusion override for $894,400.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
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