Lynne Smith 5 Tabor Hill Road Lincoln, MA 01773 781-258-1175 Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message: > From: Lynne Smith <[email protected]> > Date: 13 November 2022 at 7:13:43 a.m. GMT-5 > To: stephensakowich <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [LincolnTalk] Community Center Building Committee- Why Build A > New Community Center? > > And turning the renovated basement, now mostly used for storage, into > private meeting rooms, seems like a no brainer. While basement rooms sound > dreary, much can be done with lighting, plants, and interesting > materials—again, not $24 million! > > Lynne Smith > 5 Tabor Hill Road > Lincoln, MA 01773 > 781-258-1175 > Sent from my iPhone > >>> On 13 Nov 2022, at 7:09 a.m., stephensakowich <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >> Yes Lynne, a new entrance & kitchen will not cost 25 million! >> >>> On Nov 12, 2022, at 2:13 PM, Lynne Smith <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> >>> Thank you, Seth. You have written another thoughtful analysis. >>> >>> I’d like to add to this discussion a possible solution to the parking >>> problem at Bemis Hall. I don’t want to give in to parking lots as the only >>> fix. I hope we can explore further the idea of a small (electric) van or >>> car that would run on schedules timed for Events at Bemis Hall. People >>> could park at pierce House, Hartwell pods, or even the Mall and get rides >>> to Bemis. Perhaps some of us could form a study group to cost out such a >>> service. >>> >>> I am more than willing to spend money to do a gut renovation of Bemis as we >>> did for Town Offices. Seeing these beautiful old buildings repurposed for >>> modern usage seems like a Lincoln value. >>> >>> Any thoughts? >>> >>> >>> Lynne Smith >>> 5 Tabor Hill Road >>> Lincoln, MA 01773 >>> 781-258-1175 >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>>>> On 12 Nov 2022, at 9:02 a.m., Seth Rosen <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>> >>>> Hi Krystal - >>>> >>>> Thanks for sharing these thoughts, and for the work the committee has done >>>> over the years on this issue. I recognize it's a volunteer endeavor, and >>>> genuinely appreciate that. >>>> >>>> What I'm struggling with - and what I think many other folks are >>>> struggling with as well - is that we haven’t seen any alternatives that >>>> take into account any existing fiscal constraints. No one has provided a >>>> substantive response to the specific concerns I raised previously. >>>> >>>> Basically I said “guys I don’t think we can afford a $25m+ community >>>> center and here’s exactly why, in detail” and the response thus far has >>>> been “we’ve wanted it for ten years, we’ve studied it, and it’s the only >>>> solution. It will be great for the community.” >>>> >>>> Look - a $25M+ community center sounds amazing, and candidly I’d love to >>>> use it. But I also recognize that; >>>> >>>> (a) we can't afford it without raising taxes by a lot, >>>> (b) it costs a lot more to build and finance then it did in previous >>>> years, which changes the calculus and previous analyses are no longer >>>> valid, >>>> (c) we have to operate it once we build it, and that’s a long term >>>> commitment, >>>> (d) the town has other mission-critical priorities (like DPW for example) >>>> that also need to be paid for, and >>>> (e) we just built and renovated a very expensive school. >>>> >>>> What you've presented feels like two options. One, we build a $25M+ >>>> community center. Or two, we hack together using only what we have. >>>> >>>> I personally would like to see Option 3 and Option 4, where we prioritize >>>> and improve certain mission critical items (like the LEAP pod for >>>> example), and optimize other under-utilized spaces - all in the context of >>>> a capital budget that manages people's expectations and reconciles needs >>>> and wants with economic and fiscal realities. >>>> >>>> I know and understand this community center project is a labor of love for >>>> many, but to be candid, it just doesn't feel to me like there is town >>>> support for a $25M community center and if that's the case we need to >>>> evaluate whether it's prudent to spend over $300K developing designs for >>>> something Lincoln won't vote to actually build. >>>> >>>> Seth I Rosen >>>> Cell: 617-771-5602 >>>> Email: [email protected] >>>> >>>> >>>>> On Fri, Nov 11, 2022 at 8:07 AM Krystal Wood >>>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> Community Center Building Committee- November, 2022 >>>>> >>>>> Why would Lincoln build a new Community Center rather than use existing >>>>> buildings? >>>>> >>>>> Lincoln has known for a long time that Bemis Hall is not an appropriate >>>>> building for the Council on Aging & Human Services (COA&HS): >>>>> >>>>> · A 2008 needs assessment “determined that Bemis Hall not be the >>>>> long-term home for the COA.” (Since that assessment, the Lincoln senior >>>>> population has increased by 50%.) >>>>> · In 2012, the Community Center Feasibility Committee (CCFC) >>>>> concluded about Bemis Hall that it was “not built to be a modern senior >>>>> center with myriad programs and services.” >>>>> · The CCFC reiterated in a 2013 follow-up that Bemis is “not well >>>>> suited for a senior center.” >>>>> · In February, 2015, the Community Center Study Committee (CCSC) >>>>> reported that, “compared with neighboring towns, the quality, size and >>>>> condition of Lincoln’s COA facility is vastly inferior, and its physical >>>>> deficits limit the programs and services which can be offered to elders.” >>>>> · The CCSC provided additional detail about the shortcomings of >>>>> Bemis Hall: “the interior space does not allow for congregate meals, a >>>>> significant drop-in area, adequate and confidential office space for >>>>> staff and volunteers, private restroom locations, or all programming >>>>> needed to meet the needs of Lincoln’s growing population of older adults.” >>>>> · In 2018, the Community Center Preliminary Planning & Development >>>>> Committee wrote more broadly that: >>>>> >>>>> Doing nothing to provide adequate facilities for the COA, PRD [Parks & >>>>> Recreation Department], and community organizations is not an option. >>>>> The physical plants of both Bemis Hall and the pods continue to age, and >>>>> it makes no sense for the Town to continue to expend scarce tax dollars >>>>> to fix up, patch up and make do with facilities that do not suit their >>>>> purpose. Just as important, every year that these departments and >>>>> organizations are not able to provide the range of activities and >>>>> programs that are standard in other towns and are located in buildings >>>>> that discourage residents from making use of their services means that >>>>> opportunities to improve residents’ quality of life are lost. >>>>> >>>>> In 2012, the CCFC studied other town facilities, asking whether any >>>>> existing building could serve as a better home for the COA&HS than Bemis >>>>> Hall. The CCFC concluded that no other existing building could serve the >>>>> needs of the COA. Pierce House, for instance, has two assets – a good >>>>> location and plentiful parking – but fails on every other criterion as a >>>>> potential home for the COA&HS: the spaces in the existing building don’t >>>>> match the programmatic needs, the possibilities for extensive expansion >>>>> or reconfiguration are very limited, and Pierce House couldn’t >>>>> accommodate the Parks & Recreation Department (PRD). >>>>> >>>>> For over 10 years, Town Committees have studied and evaluated options for >>>>> a Community Center., and have consistently concluded that continuing to >>>>> offer activities and services under the existing conditions of Bemis Hall >>>>> and the pods is no longer feasible or acceptable. Other existing town >>>>> facilities do not offer a solution to the problem. If Lincoln wants a >>>>> Community Center, then building a new one is the most efficient use of >>>>> town resources. >>>>> >>>>> We welcome all input and questions from town residents, and will make >>>>> every effort to solicit, hear, and address the priorities, values and >>>>> concerns of Lincoln residents concerning a new Community Center. >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>>>> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >>>>> Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. >>>>> Browse the archives at >>>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>>>> Change your subscription settings at >>>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>>> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >>>> Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. >>>> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>>> Change your subscription settings at >>>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>>> >>> -- >>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >>> Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. >>> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>> Change your subscription settings at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>> >>
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