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CHATHAM – Selectmen are seeking as much information as they can to refine their vision of a new senior center.
Several sites, including town owned land on Old Harbor Road, are under consideration for a single-story structure to replace the three-story building which has been described as a fire hazard.
To speed up the process of attaining a feasibility study on one of the options, selectmen have asked town staff to refine the size needed for such a structure and the best location to maximize it.
So far, the starting point has been set by principal projects administrator Terry Whalen at 9,000 square feet.
While some have floated the possibility of using the building for more than one purpose, selectman Seth Taylor said he wonders if the proposed square footage is too much.
“That’s an enormous amount of floor space,” he said. “I want to understand what those 9,000 feet relate to.”
The director of the Council on Aging, Mandi Speakman, said that the state’s recommendations for these buildings call for one of 12,000 to 15,000 square feet for a population the size of Chatham’s.
But Taylor noted that the town has constructed “palaces” before which were not always well-utilized.
Another suggestion previously considered was expanding the current structure. But Whalen said that the plumbing and HVAC systems would require updating in that scenario.
Selectmen are hoping to land a $107,000 article on the next town meeting warrant to fund a feasibility study.
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