NORTHFIELD — Upon considering whether the Campus Center Community Collaborative Committee, also known as the C5, is an effective collaboration following the withdrawal of The Moody Center in March, the Selectboard ultimately voted last week to disband the committee.
Selectboard members, when considering the committee’s future, felt the entity had devolved into less of a collaboration than was originally envisioned and had taken a different focus. Member Barbara “Bee” Jacque described the C5 as a “kind of laundry list of issues and questions, as opposed to real mutual discussion,” referring specifically to issues such as land transfers and property improvements.
“When you have a committee, you have a purpose,” Selectboard Chair Alex Meisner said during a previous meeting. “If you don’t have a purpose, then there’s no reason for you to exist in the eyes of the public administration. … From what I’ve heard from individuals, there’s just no point to this committee at this point in time.”
The 13-member Campus Center Community Collaborative Committee was established by the Selectboard in 2021 in the wake of conversations that arose from a November 2020 announcement that The Moody Center — a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the ideals of famed 19th-century evangelist Dwight L. Moody — planned to propose a $12 million project renovating Moore Cottage and the old bookstore on Moody Street, and constructing housing units and a new welcome center. This was met with concern from residents, who argued the plans would upend the nature of the historic neighborhood.
Following this initial pushback, The Moody Center withdrew its proposal until it could be reviewed by the newly established committee. Over the course of multiple meetings, the C5 established a mission statement and laid the groundwork for future conversations on specific projects.
The C5 allowed residents to maintain “a proactive advisory role in the redevelopment of the campus, encouraging reuse and growth [that] reflects the historic aspects of the campus, and assuring that the town’s long-term goals are considered in the process,” the Northfield town website explains. Thomas Aquinas College, which took over ownership of other parts of the long-vacant campus in 2017, also had representatives on the committee.
Before voting to disband the C5, multiple Selectboard members cited a lack of communication from The Moody Center, in particular, as being a driving factor in the committee’s changed focus.
“I don’t think they have anything in mind as far as to benefit Northfield,” Vice Chair Bernard “Bernie” Boudreau said previously, referring to The Moody Center. “I felt it was very self-centered on their part, everything I saw from them during this time.”
When reached by phone in March, Moody Center President James Spencer said the center withdrew from the C5 because the scope of its plans — in terms of what is budgeted for — largely involves building maintenance at this time. This includes painting the exterior of buildings, some electrical and plumbing work, and roof repairs.
“We just didn’t feel like participating in the committee was helping anyone, so we decided to take a step back,” Spencer said at the time. “We won’t have anything that a proactive advisory committee would be advising us on.”
Jacque mentioned that while she noticed “great communication with Thomas Aquinas” College on matters such as the formation of the new Grandin Water District, the Selectboard felt left in the dark on The Moody Center’s plans, such as hosting a Christian music festival.
“On SoulFest, for example, that totally took us by surprise,” she said. “I think that kind of set a different tone and type of focus for the group that really wasn’t the original intent.”
Jacque attributed the lack of collaboration on the C5 partially to Thomas Aquinas College and The Moody Center being “two different entities” that “bring different strengths.”
“Diplomatically put, I think it was challenging for the [committee] to circle around two very different organizations who share the same part of the street,” she added.
Still, Jacque emphasized that the committee did serve to connect town officials with Thomas Aquinas College. Town Administrator Andrea Llamas said the college was willing to continue participating on the C5, should the Selectboard deem it useful, but would also be “happy enough if it was judged that the committee has outlived its usefulness.”
Selectboard members discussed potentially appointing a liaison in the future to maintain communication between the Selectboard and Thomas Aquinas College.
