1982-09-BOS-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 � -6- given specific guidelines as to what the Town wants so they can be respon- sive when submitting proposals. Mrs. Rawls reported on poll of members of the members of the TMMA Execu -- "k tive Committee to try . to gain a sense of the Town on the Senior Center issue. She prepared a draft statement which was placed before the 13 member present !NW at its September 9 meeting. The Executive Committee members present were of the opinion that the whole problem of a Senior Center should be resolved before the question of whether to include it in- Muzzey plans is decided. They could think of no way to accomplish this wio thout a special town meeting. All agreed that since they have received no hard data on the Senior Cen- ter, they are not convinced of the need. In reference to the 1978 commitment to a Senior Center, it was not felt to be a commitment as to location, size of program or scope of A further imbalance in the housing stock with respect to elderly and other housing categories could result if emphasis on construction of a Senior Center was given precedence for Muzzey. Doubts were expressed by the Ececutive Committee that the Town Meeting would approve funding for a Senior Center if it were included in plans for Muzzey.. Three members felt strongly that it should be required with a "no senior center" option, as required by the substitute motion, to allow the Town Meeting to vote on the concept as well as a specific plan. The other ten agreed that it should be an option rather than a requirement in Muzzey plans,-and favored the statement. put before them by Mrs. Rawls, as follows: "Studies have been conducted indicating the need for an enlarged Senior Center to provide increased services and activities for an expanding Senior population. The Council on Aging has expressed its satisfaction with a por- tion of Muzzey School as .a - location for such a center. There has, however,, been no town or Town Meeting consensus on preferred location,; breadth of pro - fram, acceptance of increased costs, etc. A senior Center maybe included in plans if developers think such a cen- ter would enhance or be compatible with their proposed residential plans. A layout acceptble to the Council on Aging for conversion of 8,000 square feet of the ground level of the school already exists, and may be made available to developers who request it. Because the Town Meeting has expressed a wish to vote on any Senior Center as a separate item, if one is proposed, it must be presented as an option; and an alternate plan must also be prepared showing the proposed development without such a center. In such a case, both plans would be presented to the Town Meeting. The inclusion of a. Senior Center is not to be a deciding f actor in j udg- ing proposals. Rather, a developer's responsiveness to the housing priorities set forth in the Planning Board Report will take precedence, To cover the possibility of there being no Senior Center in the preferred plan, or the Town Meeting s turning down one that in included, the Selectmen have agreed to present to the same Town Meeting an article authorizing and fund - ing a committee to explore other possible sites, and funding, program and build- ing renovation needs - said committee to to the 1984 Town Meeting a specific package for a Senior Center, and possibly for related Senior Service." There was doubt expressed that the last paragraph is necessary, in view of the f ac that the Town Meeting has not yet been convinced of the need; but most agreed that it is politically wise, and that such an article would pro- vide a forum for presentation of facts, and for Town Meeting consideration of the whole Senior Center question. r