SHELBURNE FALLS — Survey results are in for the new Senior Center site, and the community’s top choice is to build a new facility on land next to the former Arms Academy building.
“Overall results show a clear direction to pursue more information and details to build on the Arms lot, public land which surrounds the former Arms Academy on Church Street in Shelburne, which is home to the Shelburne Historical Society,” Senior Center Director Cathy Buntin said.
While the subcommittee considered Mole Hollow Candle building as the most viable of its four shortlisted sites, residents at a meeting on Monday expressed more interest in building a new center on land near the former Arms Academy, at Church and Maple streets. The two other options are renovating the Buckland Police Station and constructing a center on Buckland-Shelburne Elementary land.
The Arms Academy option was met with some support. Residents said benefits of this site include its proximity to Cowell Gymnasium, as the senior center could use the facility, and the opportunity to build a new center. However, the site may receive pushback as a recent proposal to build a playground there was resisted by some neighbors, Buntin said.
According to the subcommittee, perks of the Mole Hollow site include its scenic view and close proximity to the village. But some residents raised concerns about access to Mole Hollow, saying its location, Deerfield Avenue, is congested, sloped and without a sidewalk. Another resident suggested Mole Hollow may be better used as a store rather than a senior center.
A Deerfield Avenue business owner agreed with residents about the street’s congestion.
“It’s called Deerfield Avenue, but I think it could be called ‘Deerfield Alley,’” said William Seibert, owner of Shelburne Falls Cork.
The Buckland Police Station is another option for a new center. However, this would require the department to relocate. Senior Center Board Member Sylvia Smith said project organizers did not know where the station would move.
Land at Buckland-Shelburne Elementary, near Church and Mechanic streets, is also under consideration.
Estimated costs for each site range from $3.35 million to $4.76 million. Arms Academy has the highest price-tag, at $4.76 million; Buckland-Shelburne Elementary is next at $4.23 million; then Mole Hollow at $4.1 million; and Buckland Police Station at $3.35. There is some urgency to the project, as construction costs inflate at a relatively high rate – 5 to 8 percent per year – said KristianWhitsett, principal of Jones Whitsett Architects and Shelburne Finance Committee member.
To fund the project, organizers will cobble together state and municipal funds, as well as private donations. Organizers submitted a request to the Legislature for $100,000, and applied for a $200,000 grant to pay for a project manager. However, Margaret Payne, president of the Senior Center Foundation, noted the difficulty of soliciting donations without having selected a site.
“We’re very eager for people’s reaction and – I hope – support,” Payne said. “Obviously, it would be a lot easier to raise funds if you have a particular site that you can get excited about. We really want a lot of people to be a part of this decision-making.”
The site subcommittee plans to recommend a site to the expansion committee and seek approval from the Senior Center Board of Directors in the next couple months, said Douglas Field, Ashfield Council on Aging Chair.
The Shelburne Senior Center project may be subject to a vote at annual town meetings in Buckland, Shelburne and Ashfield, Smith said.
View the project presentation here: https://townofshelburne.com/files/20190124_SeniorCenter_UPDATED_212019_small.pdf.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.