Has anyone considered an arrangement with First Parish to use/renovate the Stone Church? Seems an obvious option
On Sun, Nov 13, 2022, 8:28 AM Barbara Low <[email protected]> wrote: > The space in the basement is not used as storage space. That was only > during covid when equipment needed to be "quarantined" before it was put in > the closet where health equipment is stored. > ------------------------------ > *From:* Lincoln <[email protected]> on behalf of Lynne > Smith <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Sunday, November 13, 2022 7:14 AM > *To:* Lincoln <[email protected]> > *Subject:* [LincolnTalk] Fwd: Community Center Building Committee- Why > Build A New Community Center? > > > > 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. > > > -- > 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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