HomeMy WebLinkAbout2005-11-15-SACP-min
Senior Center Action Plan Committee Meeting
November 15, 2005
5:30 pm
Present: Shirley Stolz, Mary Lou Touart, Duke Bitsko, Maria Constantinides,
Lauren MacNeil, Paul Lapointe, Tom Griffiths, Marilyn Campbell,
Marian Cohen, Laura Kole, Richard Pagett, Charles Hornig, John Rossi
Minutes
We approved the minutes from Nov. 1, 2005. Minutes from Nov. 8, 2005 require
changes and will be voted on at the next meeting.
Lexington Adult Supportive Day Program
Marian Cohen, on behalf of the COA (Council on Aging), believes it would be better to
have it separate from the Senior Center, mostly because the programs are very different.
Also, studies show that active seniors don’t like to see their futures. The space we lease
right now from Minuteman Tech. in Lincoln has another two years; we don’t know what
will happen at that time. Will we need TWO sites, one for Senior Center and one for Day
program? COA will look into possibilities at the current Day site.
Other Senior Centers
Arlington’s is in a renovated school and is shabby, makeshift and depressing. Belmont’s
proposed (and just passed) Center will be 18,350 sq. ft. to serve 5,000 seniors. Right now
we serve approximately 2,400 out of a total senior population of 7,200.
Parking
Charles Hornig thinks that if the building is in Lexington Center that being on public
transportation could help the parking problem. Lauren said that 90% of the seniors who
use the current Center (which is also served by MTA bus and Lexpress) drive themselves
or get driven by someone else. We need to assume that will continue. At 100-150 spaces
for cars, parking is the largest component of the project! What about underground
parking? This would also solve the problem of icing and the seniors’ fear of falling.
COA (Council on Aging) ‘Proposed Senior Center’ Draft Program Worksheet
Paul Lapointe presented the ‘Proposed Senior Center’ space and program plans; this has
been endorsed and voted on by the COA.
Current (Muzzey) Senior Center is 9373 sq. ft. Proposed size: 23,953 sq. ft. plus 100
parking spaces. This does not include space for the Adult Day program, which would, in
this proposal, require an additional 3,780 sq. ft.
Amount of storage space planned is wonderful. Reports of other senior centers indicate
that storage space is always in short supply. Also the space for counseling is very good,
this becomes a more and more important function of a senior center as counseling serves
not only the senior population but also those who care for seniors. The large
Minutes: November 15, 2005
Revision 1
multipurpose room is a great idea; the center in Peabody has a similar room that they use
all the time.
Do we know which of the planned spaces must be on the ground floor? Some programs
require street access. Actual footprint of the building will depend on that. What
programs require natural light and therefore can’t be below grade? They did not break out
their plans with these issues in mind, will have to analyze the plans and determine these
requirements. Initial thought is to have everything but mechanical systems above grade,
natural light is very important for the elderly in particular.
Is 24,000 sq. ft too much space? Not enough space? At current construction rates, the
cost to build such a space is approximately $350/sq. ft. This is the number the school
committee is using for their school project estimates. Construction costs are only 70% of
project cost. We are looking at an $8 million project. Maybe there could be a
COA/FOCOA (Friends of Council on Aging) joint fundraising effort in the fall.
Meeting adjourned at 7:10 pm.
Next meeting: Tuesday November 22, 2005 at 5:30 in the Selectmen’s Meeting Room at
Town Hall. We will review the site selection criteria as they apply to the specific COA
requirements.
Minutes: November 15, 2005
Revision 1