SUNDERLAND — As the South County Senior Center’s feasibility study moves forward, residents of its member towns are invited to three public forums to learn about the options being considered for a future home for the center and provide feedback.

The forums will provide a chance for Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately residents to see the work that edmStudio, the consultant undertaking the study, has been doing over the last seven months. The study has narrowed down potential future homes for the Senior Center to the Whately Town Offices and Deerfield Town Hall.

The first forum will be held at Frontier Regional School on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m.; the second will be at Whately Town Hall on Friday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m.; and the final forum will be at the Sunderland Public Library on Wednesday, March 19, at 2 p.m. All residents are invited to attend and the information presented at each one will be the same, according to Senior Center Director Jennifer Ferrara, formerly Jennifer Remillard.

“It will be a great opportunity for people to get their questions answered and they’re going to be able to cast a vote for which design they like — whether it’s the Deerfield or Whately design — and give comments and feedback,” Ferrara said. “This is a chance for people to learn more about what is needed to support our seniors.”

Ferrara said the forums will begin with an introduction focusing on the services and programs the Senior Center provides, as well as how membership continues to grow and why an expanded space is needed. Folks will also be able to ask questions and provide feedback to the Senior Center and edmStudio.

EdmStudio Principal Chris Wante added that the forums will give folks a glimpse into the work they’ve done during the feasibility study process, as well as a look at what each site offers and preliminary cost estimates. Projected tax impacts will also be included.

“The forums are a great opportunity for the public to not only learn about the study’s findings, but also gain insight into our process,” Wante said. “We’ve developed two strong options based on the vision that the [Board of Oversight] and Jen have for a modern senior center in South County — each with its own strengths and trade-offs. We’re excited to share these and hear feedback from the community.”

As residents learn about the South County Senior Center’s potential options, the feasibility study marks one step closer toward some sort of resolution to the years-long goal of finding a permanent home for the center.

The Senior Center was previously housed at the 1888 Building, which closed due to the pandemic and never reopened due to contaminants in the building. That building is now slated to be transformed into Deerfield’s Town Hall, opening up the current Town Hall as an option. Other locations over the years have included a tent outside the 1888 Building, the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in South Deerfield and its current space at 22 Amherst Road in Sunderland.

In the coming weeks, the South County Senior Center will be posting reports and other information on its website at southcountyseniorcenter.org.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.