ROWE — Although there are no contested races on the town election ballot on Saturday, voters will be asked their opinion on two potential future paths for the Gracy House.
The non-binding referendum asks whether voters would prefer to demolish the building — which would likely cost the town about $60,000 — or pursue mold mitigation, code compliance and full building renovation for a cost of roughly $500,000.
Also on the ballot, Joanne Semanie is running for a seat on the Selectboard, replacing Jennifer Morse whose term ends this year.
The election is scheduled to take place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Town Hall. Absentee ballots are available until noon on Friday.
The Gracy House, which is located next to Town Hall, was purchased by the town in the late 1980s for use as a community center. In 2018, a state inspection found the presence of hazardous mold, which resulted in the closure of the building.
The Gracy House Committee was then formed to investigate the issues of mold and other structural issues, and in March 2019, Special Town Meeting voters approved the appropriation of $58,000 in free cash for repairs and mold mitigation.
Town Clerk Paul McLatchy III said the money was approved in case the town did go forward with mold removal, but when additional issues with the building were discovered and it appeared the building may need substantially more work, the committee opted to return to voters with the question of how best to proceed before spending the money.
According to the ballot, the purpose of the non-binding referendum is to collect voter feedback, and no board or committee is bound by the results of the referendum.
The positions and candidates on the ballot are:
■Board of Assessors, three-year term — Frederick Williams
■Board of Health, three-year term — Daniel Poplawski
■Cemetery Commission, three-year — Marilyn Wilson
■Constable, three-year term — Henry Dandeneau
■Finance Committee, three-year term (two seats) — Loretta Dionne and Paul McLatchy III
■Library trustee, three-year term — Rebecca Bradley
■Park Commission, three-year term — Laurie Pike
■Planning Board, five-year term — Jessica Albrecht
■Planning Board, two-year term — no candidates
■Rowe School Committee, three-year term — Susan Zavotka
■Town clerk, three-year term — Paul McLatchy III
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263. Twitter: @MaryEByrne