Selectmen Narrow Community Center Costs To $9 Million

By Kendra Bobowick

They walked in to the Board of Selectman’s meeting Tuesday with fingers crossed for a $12 million proposal for a community center and pool, but left with potential funding at only $9 million.

“We’re going to have to look at what the architects can put together for us for that cost and see if it meets the needs for a community center,” said Parks and Rec Director Amy Mangold Wednesday. “We want to do this right. The approximate $80 million five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), for the town’s expenses outside of budget needs is bonded, and projects are often phased over several years.

The proposed community center that is slated to go in at Fairfield Hills and also include a pool spans years 2010, 2011, and 2012 to cover design and construction. Working with the recreation members, O&G Industries Inc’s Director of Development Jeff Cugno does not feel a $12 million projects can fit into $9 million, noting on Tuesday that they will have to go back and make revisions to meet the preferred amount.

Following the meeting, Selectman Paul Mangiafico confirmed that $9 million is the most the town is willing to bond for this particular project, recognizing that the recreation members Tuesday, “weren’t happy.”

In past weeks as the annual CIP process unfolded, the recreation department’s request for a community center had also incorporated the pool and senior center for an estimated $16-plus million. Mr Mangiafico vehemently opposed the more expensive plan. The number was far more than he understood costs to be from as recently as last year. Since the earlier meeting and this week’s CIP discussion, the Commission on Aging opted out of the project in writing to Mr Borst. A recent letter states, “The Commission voted unanimously to maintain a stand-alone Senior Center at Fairfield Hills and to withdraw from the original proposal with Parks and Recreation.”

Qualifying his opposition to the $12 million community center/pool project, Mr Mangiafico considered the prior, more expensive request compared to the $12 million, saying, “All the seniors did was back out of their own volition so the rest stayed the same …”

The overall CIP proposal will now be forwarded to the Board of Finance for review.