Last night, I went to the Town Meeting here in Westborough, concerning building and providing a Community Center. I listened to the proposal, the alternatives, and what has been done so far. While I admire Westborough’s intentions, I do not agree with the way it is being done.
Some mistakes have been made, and the Boards I saw last night need to slow down, first. The first mistake, to the project as I see it was the purchase of the building intended for this purpose. A 20 year old building, was not the way to go, the building should have been better inspected from the start. A Flat roofed building has numerous problems for the New England area of Massachusetts. The roof is already twenty years old, it needs a full replacement, period. Second problem with this roof is it will need to be reinforced once redone, to carry the additional weight of the AC Units to be place upon it .It must not only hold the AC Units and be sealed properly and maintained, but be strong enough to withstand Snowfalls herein New England.
The roof is a major flaw the town did not recognize when it bought the building. The roof being 20 years old as is, needs to be totally replaced, not repaired. As it sits right now, if one small leak exists in said roof. you will need to do a full inspection of the structure in all areas. Water damage, can be devastating as we all know. Once water gets in, it will travel, throughout said building causing major problems not only by weaking the roof structure itself, but, by weaking the walls, and framing. if it has leaked anywhere along the roof, and I mean anywhere, you then face a possible clean up of mold, mildew damages, that will cost additional millions.
That is the first thing I will mention here. The next is the repointing and strengthening of the structure to hold the weight of what is being proposed and the pricing. Motar pointing up, while can be done, may not be enough if the water damage exists, from the roof, especially, if there is water damage inside the structure.
The exterior, while I believe in the appearance will need to be improved, the cost is going to get out of control for what is being proposed. Then you need to reshuffle the interior of the building to fit in what you need to use it for. My question is why so much, at one time? I am a Disabled Veteran myself, and I know what Veterans shall need. I also know that dividing such a Community Center up in the way it is proposed is very costly. You are trying to do too much at one time as I see it.
A place for the younger generation of teens to mid-twenties or thirties, should be separate and a place away from Seniors and Veterans. Not forced into one building in the way proposed here.
On top of the structure itself needing to be fully inspected and tight and sturdy. The exterior proposal of rebuilding and fixing sidewalks, and parking lots, is ok. yet, if you look at the numbers as presented and the layout of the exterior and interior of what is intended, I ask, even if done in twenty phases, the cost for this is crazy. I know, the economy in America is about to change once more, under the incoming Administration in Washington. Price will rise folks, you will get hit with maybe numbers that are twice what you have estimated already. Stop and think about what you are doing here, slow down.
Next is how does a Town the size of Westborough, Mass. intend to pay for such a building, or Community Center? Where will the funding come from folks, the people of Westborough, will not like having their taxes raised to pay for such a project. On average, you are asking Westborough citizens to add approximately eight hundred dollars a year or more to their current tax bills. This increase will anger many citizens, and you may lose out here. The Senior population that is growing here in Westborough, may be seniors, but we are not stupid either. There are now many condo complexes here in Westborough and yes the older generation and population is growing, yet, you have to remember, their wallets and purses are not. They are retired, elderly, surviving on social security and retirement funds, pensions. as it is the price of living in Westborough, Mass, is up there without additional costs of this nature.
While I agree, something must be done to accommodate the Seniors of Westborough, and it’s Veterans too, I do not agree to the cost of said project of this Community Center. We currently have a Senior Center in Westborough, so what is wrong with extending it? Is it the property it sits on, the cost of said expansion, what? Who came up with the idea of purchasing a building for this purpose, of a Community Center of such size and paying so much for a twenty year old building? Who inspected it prior to purchase, for feasibility, and purpose? That is where the first problem sits in my mind. This was not in my opinion, thought out fully, and you could see that, in the presentation at the meeting last night. The economy of the town, and it’s population which is growing in age, can’t be asked to foot a bill this high, that will hit our taxes and be reasonable, not in my opinion.
Before you start, designing and fabricating the interior of such a Community Center, you will have to start with the building itself. The damages on the roof, the ac units being replaced and secured alone is major here. One small leak in any part of said roof, can lead to a major disaster here. As one of the members of the board said, roof problems here in Westborough have occurred to many structures in the past and recently, and have cost the town bundles of cash to repair. What assurance and guarantee is there, that this building, will not do the same? A re-warranty of such a roof will not be enough, to hold. The best you may get on such a warranty of this type by an insurance company out there may be 5 to ten years not 20 to 25 as needed. A new roof may cost more initially to do here, but in the long run, may be the best way to go for safety and maintenance also in the future.
While the design of this Community Center is pretty, and nice looking, it includes far too much in one shot to get done. Go back to basics here. You made the mistake of purchasing a building, that is in need of repairs and maintenance. Fix the building and structure first. Second, find out, how many people said building can hold under the safety and fire codes of Westborough and the State. This will have to be a slow build if it is done, phased out over a lot more time, then is suggested or being planned for here. Go one step at a time if you plan on accomplishing what you wish here. A rush of any kind will only cause going back to fix what you missed, or did not do correctly.
I know, I am not a city planner on said project, and I am only a concerned citizen in Westborough looking at this from the outside in. I also know, that rising costs are about to hit this country and it’s economy, with the new Administration coming in Washington, DC. The taxes will rise folks, tariffs will hit, and people will suffer the costs of said actions. If you don’t believe that, then you are living in a make believe world, for no American can be that blind not to see it coming.
I live in one of the Condo Complexes here in Westborough, Mass. and I know, the Seniors who live here, want to have a say in how the town does it’s business, and how it pays for it all. I remind all, on the Town Boards and in the town Government here, Seniors in all of these Condo Complexes, don’t want to be taxed out of the town, we chose to come here. We are on budgets and financial plans and retirement plans. we are not, the rich, nor are we the money bags, you intend us to be, to expand your town. You need to stop and tell us now, where you plan on getting the funding for projects like this, how much it will cost the average home owner and taxpayer on each level. You can give out pretty pictures and looks of what you want to build all you like, but in the end, we the people, especially the Seniors and Veterans, want to know, what’s the bottom line and cost for each of us and can we really afford it all? That is never mentioned in these town hall meetings, by anyone on the boards is it? Why?
As it sits now and for what I have seen as a citizen, Senior and Veteran, I would vote no for said Community Center. You can’t build it unless you can pay for it folks, in a decent way that will not, coast each Home Owner and tax payer that much. Look I know Northborough, Marlboro, Southborough, all have better Senior Centers than Westborough, everyone knows that. You can’t be playing lets keep up with the Jones next door and get away with it if you don’t have the funding and budget to do so. Slow down, fix the building you bought first and foremost. Make it safe, make it structurally sound, make it adhere to Fire and Safety Codes and buildings codes as set forth by the town and the state and the Federal Government too.
Get financial assistance from The Federal government towards any part of the project that affects or is built for veterans. Ask for assistance from the State for Senior citizens that live here, and show the state the town’s population is aging and increasing in numbers and the reason you need this. Without outside assistance financially, I do not see how the Town of Westborough can come up with that amount of money to do this Community Center and make it work. Don’t fabricate it, don’t bypass the cost of it, don’t pretend here, be real. You can’t ask people who are 55 and up, to pay this bill, you can’t ask Veterans who are Disabled, or on Disability payments to do so either. You can’t tell Senior Citizens who no longer work, to enjoy and pay such taxes either, you will have a major revolt on your hands. Wake up, before you go any further, reevaluate what you are doing, slow down. It is not the Senior population, The Veterans, or even the children of Westborough, who made the decision to purchase a twenty year old building with problems, it is you the board who made that mistake. so before you proceed in any attempt, to build such a Community Center as presented or any of the alternatives, you need to go back to the basics here. Fix your eight million dollar building you purchased first, in a proper way, and as affordable and in a safe way. Once the building is safe, structurally, the roof is proper enough to not only hold the AC Units proposed for it, as well as leak proof and the masonry points needed to be fixed are done and repaired, you can then start the project if you have a way of funding it, properly, without, killing the average tax payer in town.
Phasing parts in is great as long as you can pay for each phase. The phases would have to be smaller than being proposed and the project may not get fully completed till 20230 or so, yet in the end, it would be properly funded, properly maintained and finished to be safe, comfortable, up to building codes, and worth the effort and last for many years and possibly a generation.
Please don’t think, I am saying the Community Center should not be built, or that I am saying it is not needed. I am saying, find a way to slow down, find a way to pay for this project that won’t break the citizens of Westborough’s back here. Stop, trying to outdo your neighboring towns, be logical, be economical, be realistic, at no time will this Community Center be holding over three hundred people in my opinion. While the Senior Population is growing folks, they are also inflicted with aliments that stop their participation. we slow down, we can’t drive much. we can’t afford gas and extras like we did when younger. Wake up. The Veterans are not going to be able to on limited budgets pay for this either. So, how do you get it paid for, built, and completed? Please tell us, the citizens, of Westborough, It’s home owners and tax payers, our Seniors and Veterans, where the funding comes from, how, you get it and how much it will cost each of us. Break it down, because at the point the project is at now, I see too many mistakes, and no answer for the funding other than the citizens paying for this and taxes rising. What’s the options here, and in my opinion, if they are not good, stop the project, and recalibrate here.
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