Here is the article that appeared in Lincoln Squirrel today. Lynne Smith 5 Tabor Hill Road Lincoln, MA 01773 cell: 781-258-1175 ly...@smith.net
My Turn: CCBC authorizes a 75% program option for ICON cost estimation By Lynne Smith <https://lincolnsquirrel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/myturn-sm-feb2021.jpg> Community Center Building Committee Chair Sarah Chester opened the CCBC’s May 31 meeting by reiterating the group’s commitment to two cost options for a community center: 50% and 75% of the 2018 project cost of $25 million, as required at the Special Town Meeting in November 2022.The committee is focused on a consolidated program in a single new building with Parks & Recreation (PRD) and Council on Aging & Human Services (COA & HS) grouped into shared and non-shared space. After much discussion of the program spaces, the committee ended the meeting with a vote to accept an area of 9,320 net square feet for cost estimation by ICON Architects. The committee said this will become the 75% option for program space <https://lincolncommunitycenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-05-31-Lincoln-CCBC-Public-Presentation-1.pdf> and reflects a reduction of 10,000 square feet from the 2018 proposal by eliminating such things as a teaching kitchen and lobby café. The reduction in space is impressive, but the architects and the committee must reduce it even further to achieve a 50% option with a price tag of $12.5 million. At the upcoming June 13 public forum, the committee expects ICON to present both options, including cost estimates for site preparation, a new building, and parking lots. ICON’s Ned Collier promised at the first public meeting with CCBC that each option would be a “complete, viable alternative,”* and we are waiting to see how that assurance will be met. At the May 31 meeting, several residents asked pointed questions and initiated discussions: Magic Garden and Lincoln Preschool — Sara Mattes questioned why the private Magic Garden preschool housed in the 7,000-square-foot Hartwell Building couldn’t be moved elsewhere in town, perhaps to a space at St. Anne’s-in-the-Fields church recently vacated by another preschool, so the town-owned building could be used for public community center purposes. Lori Leo, the director of Magic Garden, explained that the St. Anne’s space was too small for the full school and would require significant modification to house the infant/toddler group, which has since moved to the Stone Church of First Parish. School staff and Magic Garden representatives highlighted the importance, for parents and school staff, of having the Magic Garden preschool on the Hartwell campus. Mattes also asked about having the preschool housed at the K-8 school. Becky McFall, retiring School Superintendent, explained that the public preschool was for children aged 2-5 needing special education for developmental issues. While this discussion seemed to put to rest the idea of moving Magic Garden, the discussion illustrated the potential use of available church space for town-sponsored activities. Attendance and benchmark data — David Cuetos reiterated his request for actual program attendance data, not just room capacity. Collier explained that the committee had this data and it would be made available on the CCBC website <http://www.lincolncommunitycenter.com/>. Cuetos also asked for a benchmark analysis comparing spaces and costs with similar projects in other towns. Collier and Chester declined to do this, noting that no other town had a comparable project combining Parks and Recreation with a Council on Aging and Human Services in a single building. Information on both of these topics would help the community understand actual, not just possible, usage and how Lincoln compares to other towns. Such data has been promised at many meetings and its lack has made informed questions and comments for both the committee and the public difficult. I hope to see both attendance and benchmark data soon on the community center website. Reduction in shared and non-shared spaces — Dennis Picker came prepared with a detailed table and rationale for significant reductions in room sizes from the prior programming matrix. The committee responded that some of these reductions had been made in the updated program <https://lincolncommunitycenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-05-31-Lincoln-CCBC-Public-Presentation-1.pdf> shown at the meeting, but Picker pointed out that many other reductions were still possible and would be necessary if the town is to see a viable 50% cost option. Picker reflects the desire of many in town to see a modest proposal that they would be willing to accept. Public concerns — Susan Taylor, School Committee liaison to CCBC, suggested that the above concerns raised by the public be addressed in writing, distributed to the town, and put on the CCBC website so that Lincoln residents could understand the rationale. Krystal Wood and the communications committee agreed to do so. * * * As an amender of the Special Town Meeting motion to authorize the architectural study of a community center, I am still interested in seeing if a 50% cost option is viable and attractive — and if not, that the vision of a single, new, consolidated space be revisited, and that the use of available spaces in town (some of which would require modification) be considered. ICON promised to identify needs vs. aspirations. Some of the programs currently put forth appear to be aspirational, such as having three congregate senior luncheons per week with 50 people at each. This is not a required activity and the projected participation numbers seem high, given anecdotal reports of the current once-a-week attendance of 15-30 seniors. The suggested five hours in the kitchen every day for Meals on Wheels still has not been explained. Finally, many of the non-shared spaces such as offices for part-time and summer staff, which were not discussed at the meeting, seem larger than needed and could easily be located in available spaces in town or at our K-8 school. This complex project is gathering steam and requires everyone’s attention. But as summer approaches, I fear that we will all find better things to do than look at charts, tables and program spaces on the LincolnCommunityCenter.com website. I urge everyone to come to the June 13 public forum, which will likely give ICON the direction and authorization to proceed with plans for a September presentation. At that point, the train will really be pulling out of the station with or without all passengers on board! * At the March 8 meeting, ICON architects “said they would identify ‘needs’ vs. ‘aspirations’ with each option [offering] a complete, viable alternative. They also emphasized their experience designing sustainable buildings with very low energy use and excellent air quality and said these qualities would be ‘baked into’ to all options” (from the Lincoln Squirrel, March 13, “My Turn: CCBC introduces architects and shares concerns <https://lincolnsquirrel.com/2023/03/my-turn-ccbc-introduces-architects-and-airs-concerns/>”).
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