Photo by Maureen Sullivan
WESTBOROUGH – The town is closer to having a Community Center.
In a vote that cleared the needed two-thirds majority by six votes, residents at fall Town Meeting approved Article 3, authorizing the Select Board to purchase 1500 Union St., the current home of Boston Sports Clubs and Spirit Halloween. The site will be the future home of a community center housing the Senior Center and Recreation Department.
The purchase price – $8.8 million – would be covered by a 20-year bond, at 5 percent interest.
Residents also approved Article 4, a transfer from free cash of $195,350 to cover the costs of due diligence, community engagement, design and operating costs.
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Current plans call for the Recreation Department to occupy the second floor, and the Senior Center occupy the first floor; extra space could be leased out by the town.
The Community Center articles gained support from town boards and committees, including the Select Board, Council on Aging, Recreation Department and Planning Board.
In a revote on the Town Meeting floor, the Advisory Finance Committee approved Article 3, 5-4. A previous vote had the committee split, 4-4.
Supporters cited the seniors’ need for more space, and the convenience of having a center closer to downtown and to the schools.
“This could be a magnificent addition to town,” said Kris Allen.
Detractors said the purchase price was too high, along with the unknown costs of fitting up the site.
Resident Dominic Caprioli proposed an amendment to reduce the purchase price from $8.8 million to $6.04 million, the site’s current appraised value.
“We have no information whatsoever on the costs to retrofit,” he said.
He also cited the additional costs to run the center, including the “shared costs” with Bay State Commons.
“We have to pay $157,000 to access the building we pay for,” he said. “We need to know the total costs.”
The resident proposed to “put the assessed value on the table” and renegotiate with the site’s owners, Grossman Development Group.
Ian Johnson, a member of the Select Board who took part in the negotiations, said the $8.8 million was agreed on by both sides.
“I am confident the deal would not go through if the $6.04 million was offered,” he said.
When it came time to vote, residents approved Article 3, 386-186; Article 4 passed, 312-73.
According to Town Manager Kristi Williams, the town will continue to conduct due diligence on the site. If any issues arise before the deal closes in March, the town could pull out of it.
The other articles
All but one article passed with little discussion.
The exception was Article 12, a request by the Department of Public Works to construct a water chemical storage building near the Morse and Hopkinton wells. Residents objected to having so many chemicals stored near wetlands.
The vote was 116 yes to 65 no, short of the two-thirds needed to pass.
Approved articles included public safety radios for the Police and Fire departments; upgrades for the Westborough Public Library’s building management systems; and budget adjustments for fiscal 2024.