2012-11-26 Community Center Task Force Final Report

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• The 2009 Council on Aging report to Town Meeting2 identified program deficiencies • The 2011 Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, Inc. architectural firm's study3 identified significant building deficiencies Lexington 2020 Vision Committee Since its inception in 1998, the 2020 Vision Committee has worked to obtain community input on key issues concerning Lexington. In 2005 the committee published a report, Forging Constructive Community Discourse4 that identified the creation of a community gathering place as a priority for Lexington: "We envision a community center where people can talk, eat and drink, and interact, thereby enhancing their social, physical, and emotional well- being." In recent 2020 Vision - sponsored focus groups discussing key issues, residents identified the goals and actions that are most important to them.5 Some comments that are of particular interest to the task force are: • Encourage civic engagement • Encourage involvement of Asian community • Understand Asian culture • Have more community events • Need more community meeting places • Improve /increase communication. • Have more pick -up and intramural sports • Have town -wide festivals with street closures Teen Study - Belfry Center Organizing Committee In 2003 a citizen group, the Belfry Center Organizing Committee, proposed creating a Teen Center in a church that was for sale. As part of their study, they surveyed middle and high school students; surveys were returned by 653 middle schools students and by 530 Lexington High School students. The document6 that the committee created as a business plan is a trenchant study of teen life in Lexington. 2 http: / /lexingtonma. gov / towngovernment /COApresentation.pdf 3 http: / /lexingtonma. gov /humanservices /Muzzey- Sr -Ctr- Improvement- Report_082411.pdf 4 Report is available on the website: http: / /lexingtonma.gov /committees /2020vision.cfm 5 http: / /lexingtonma.gov /committees /2020focusgroups.cfm 6 The Belfry Center: A Student Union for Lexington's Teens, May, 2003 is available on our website November 26, 2012 Final Report 9