Plans for a community center, which would begin with a Phase I senior and aquatic center construction, are cause for concern to former Commission on Aging chairman Ross Carley.

Plans to accept a GE Foundation gift of $15 million — $10 million of which is for the design and construction of Phase I — is slated for a vote at the April 28 annual town budget referendum. Phase II and III are intended to build a connector to the NYA Sports & Fitness Center in Fairfield Hills, where the new senior and aquatic center will stand. Phases II and III could also include building additional space on the site, or purchasing the NYA facility.

The remaining $5 million of Phase I is intended for use over five years to help toward operating expenses.

The $15 million of GE funds do not cover the entire multiphased community center project, which is troubling to Mr Carley. “Why not make Phase I the only phase?” he asked following an information meeting about the project Tuesday evening, March 10. He believes seniors should share what he understands may be exclusive space — a kitchen and recreation area, space for games, crafts, a lounge and library, health services room, storage, and more, then Phase I could be a community center “for everybody,” he said. (See .)Mr Carley’s letter to the editor

“This is a town, and you have to share, share the kitchen, library, computers,” he said. And what happens to the space at night if and when senior programming ends for the day? “No one else has access?” he asked. “That’s wasted space.”

He wants to see a community center, not a senior center in Phase I, because he fears that a Phase II may not happen. If the immediate plans for funding the senior and aquatic center pass at the April referendum, Mr Carley said the community gets just a pool out of the community center project, if Phase I is all that happens.

According to current plans, the entire proposed senior/aquatic space is roughly 35,000 square feet, 10,000 of which is the senior center, and the remainder is the aquatic center and is meant for the entire community. The aquatic center could include locker rooms, party and event rooms, a café and lobby area, administrative space, and storage.

During Tuesday’s information session, which is one of several ongoing meetings to introduce the plans to the public, Mr Carley hinted at his worries.

First Selectman Pat Llodra clarified that Phase I is the senior and aquatic center with the community center component as Phase II. Mr Carley was not pleased to learn that just 400 seniors are now members of Newtown’s current Senior Center. Mrs Llodra and advisory group members who had spent the last year researching new or expanded senior spaces in surrounding towns are confident that with more programming and newer and larger facilities, enrollment will “increase by volumes,” Mrs Llodra had said.

Mr Carley asked how the Phase II would be funded — to either make an addition to or purchase the NYA. The town’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) has included future years’ funding for community center plans. The CIP is “local funds,” Mrs Llodra said. Budgeted in the CIP, year 2016-17 is a Phase II item of $10 million. The following year budgets $5 million for a Phase III.

Mrs Llodra then addressed what would happen with the new senior space when it was not being used, and whether the community would be able to use it.

She said, “I feel strongly about that — it’s a message I hear from the senior population Their number one passion: give us space and give us our own space.” Mrs Llodra said, “I want to respect that.”

Resident Bruce Walczak asked if the senior space could include the general community “in the short term,” at least until Phase II is built.

Mrs Llodra did not want to “overpromise” how space could be used, she said. Although Mr Carley had expressed his concern that a CIP-funded Phase II would not happen, Mrs Llodra said Tuesday night, that she was confident that future phases would happen.

She also faced another questions about what would happen if the GE gift was voted down at the referendum.

“I would be embarrassed, the tricky thing is the GE voice in this. It’s their understanding that they’ll give money to build a senior space and community center space.” Mrs Llodra said she would have to go back to GE when she expects that they would want to know what the community wanted, if not the senior and community centers.

Another Point Of View

Although just an advisory board member, resident Bob Geckle did offer his opinion to questions raised Tuesday night.

Why can’t Phase I be for all the community? He then clarified a misconception that Phase I is only for seniors. Of the 35,000 proposed square feet, only 10,000 is for seniors. The aquatic center is a majority of that space, and “that’s current plan,” he said.

He was also concerned with the mention of the 400 senior center members. Numbers will increase, according to his group’s research. He noted increases in membership in other communities with “more robust community centers.” He expects to see much more participation in a newer and larger space. “The research we did indicated that membership would increase dramatically.” Mr Geckle also said, “We know that a lot of seniors are leaving this community to go to other centers because programming is better, so I think membership will increase” once Newtown has more to offer.

He also feels “that it makes no sense to lock [senior center doors] and throw away the key until the next morning,” once the seniors are done for the day.

Planning and financing is also in place for future phases, he said, indicating the CIP funds.