People of course are allowed to have their own opinions, but I don't believe this building project is about accepting our responsibility for taking care of our elders. As I have mentioned before, my father lived to 97 and was a big user of his local Council on Aging. You apparently believe that if one does not support the CCBC's decisions, you don't support our Council on Aging and its mission. This is far from the truth.
Many on Lincoln Talk and others in town simply question the Council on Aging Hartwell generous building space requirements. Residents simply do not want to build a building that is bigger than our needs like we did with the school. There is also a healthy debate on whether it makes sense to build a COA/Community Center on the Hartwell Campus without sufficient parking and limited hours to protect the pre-school Magic Gardens and school age (5+) dropoff/Pickup from automobile running child parking lot mishaps. I am also not aware of any community center anywhere that intentionally colocates a senior center and daycare using a small shared parking lot.
Many on Lincoln Talk and the town would hate to see the town build a huge building that is underutilized and repeats the lack of parking at Bemis Hall.
As a small community with limited resources and the highest per capita debt in the commonwealth, we need to look at large projects with many eyes and many voices. It is a shame that up to now, the CCBC really hasn't listened to the public's concerns.
In an effort to lower the cost and save between 3 and 4 million, I have previously asked why Leap can't be relocated into the school where it belongs. Almost all other school districts have extended day offerings within the school as the hours of a school and after school program dovetail perfectly. Maybe we should ask our new Superintendent if he could house Leap within the school?
Does anyone know where Leap is going to run while the Hartwell Project is under construction?
Peter Buchthal
71 Weston Rd
