The 2015 study looked at building a new, all-in community center at each site. What we need now is to look at supplementing activities in other sites around town. The charge from the November 2022 town meeting specifically mentions this as an option for the committee. Voters assumed the committee would demonstrate a good faith effort to do so, but this hasn't happened. We need to remember that even if we build a new community center, we will still need to maintain Bemis Hall and Pierce House. These costs are not included in the current ICON estimates.
I have attended quite a few of the CCBC meetings, so I am not new to the process. To me, the main difficulty is that we are on the path to overbuilding, again. According to the CCBC's own benchmarking, Wayland (with double our population and double our number of seniors per the CCBC) has managed to approve a project with a price tag that is less than the cheapest option being evaluated for Lincoln. They managed this by hosting a portion of their activities in locations around town. We should follow their example. > > *Cc:* Listserv Listserv <lincoln@lincolntalk.org> > > *Subject:* *Re: [LincolnTalk] Last Night's Community Center Forum* > > Lynn, > Thanks for your interest in the Community Center. It is clear you are very > new to the program. Please visit the CCBC website where you will find the > final reports for the > 2015 Study Committee. Five sites in Town were studied, design options > identified and costed ( in 2015 construction cost dollars): > Bemis Hall, Pierce House, Hartwell, Lincoln Station and DPW site. > 2016 Campus Master Planning Committee - Evaluated the impact of siting the > CC on the school campus. > 2018 CCPPDC with actual designs for buildings at the Hartwell site. > The charge of the current committee doesn't include revisiting these other > sites. > Please read the reports. > We have been challenged by very real needs on that site posed by the LEAP > program, but our PRIMARY DIFFICULTY relates to the astronomical escalation > of construction costs ( totally out of our control), and the severe > restraints imposed by the Town to look for lower cost options. Even our > "100%" option provides way less than what was presented in 2018. > Dilla Tingley > COA&HS Board, CCBC Committee Member > > > >> >> >> *From:* Forest Brown <forestbrow...@gmail.com> >> *Date:* September 13, 2023 at 10:42:11 AM EDT >> *To:* "Lynn DeLisi, M.D." <delis...@aol.com> >> *Cc:* Listserv Listserv <lincoln@lincolntalk.org> >> *Subject:* *Re: [LincolnTalk] Last Night's Community Center Forum* >> >> >> Dear Lynn, >> >> Thank you so much for thoughtfully describing your perspective. I was >> also wondering about improving upon preexisting buildings as an >> alternative. I am in complete agreement with what you’ve shared here. I >> appreciate you willing to serve on behalf of other residents who feel the >> same way. >> >> Becca >> >> On Sep 13, 2023, at 10:29 AM, Lynn DeLisi, M.D. via Lincoln < >> lincoln@lincolntalk.org> wrote: >> >> >> >> Wednesday September 13, 2023 >> >> Dear LT, >> >> I am posting my personal views, not as a member of the Town Planning >> Board, but as one resident of this unique town. I want to thank the >> Community Center Building Committee and the Architects for their hard work >> for our Town over the last several months. However, after listening to the >> Community Center Building Committee’s Forum last evening, it has become >> very clear to me that the Town’s vision to improve facilities for the COA >> cannot be accomplished on the school site as “selected” by residents of the >> Town a few years ago. We hired excellent architects who have listened to >> the committee and the public now for several months and have come up with >> 3+ major plans, recommending the middle priced one that is at 75% the >> original very expensive estimate given to us last year. The lowest price >> option was shown to be inadequate for COA activities and would be only as >> one person said “moving the COA from one deficient site to another”. >> >> It was also clear that remaining on the school site means we “must”, >> according to the committee leadership, include in our community center >> renovating or rebuilding space for the after school program called “LEAP”, >> despite many residents giving input that this program is the school’s >> responsibility and not that of a Community Center. In addition there are >> safety issues related to traffic patterns, increased cars and children >> walking or on bikes to get to and from school and activities. >> >> Furthermore, it was clear from the lack of discussion on the topic last >> night, that there was no SERIOUS consideration by the committee of other >> sites throughout Town that could be appropriate for a community center, >> particularly COA functions. While Bemis Hall and the Pierce House have been >> visited, no details about what it would take to renovate them have been >> presented, nor has anyone taken the time to investigate whether the Town >> could use other buildings or space, historic or otherwise, along Lincoln Rd >> or nearby and renovate any of them for a community center that at least >> houses the COA. Mainly, the committee remains on the school campus because >> it is the best place for Parks and Rec to be and many people want to mix >> generations in a “Community Center for All”. >> >> I would like to propose that a new Town Committee be formed of concerned >> residents, who would still like to see the Town have a safe and up-to-date >> improved space for a COA, to conduct activities, but do not want taxes >> raised any further, and be a committee that SERIOUSLY examines existing >> sites that could be renovated, even if it means the cost of purchasing them >> for the Town. I would be happy to serve on such a committee. In the mean >> time until this committee does its work, we should put the Building >> Committee and architects on hold and not have a special Town Meeting to >> vote on the School site options in December. When Town’s residents selected >> the school site as the “best” for a community center, they did not know >> what we know now. >> >> Lynn DeLisi >> >> 125 South Great Rd >> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to Lincoln@lincolntalk.org. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >>
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