Date: Fri 29-Jan-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

space-needs-Sturdevant-Pilchar

Full Text:

Two Views Emerge From The Town's Space Needs Study

BY STEVE BIGHAM

Marie Sturdevant and Melissa Pilchard represent two different political

parties in Newtown, but when it comes to the town's municipal space needs,

their conflicting positions have nothing to do with politics.

The municipal space needs committee is nearing the completion of its study of

the town's office space crunch. The biggest question still left unanswered is

whether or not the town should provide more space by adding on to the back of

Edmond Town Hall or constructing a new free-standing facility.

A look at the two arguments:

A Farewell To Traditionalism

Melissa Pilchard believes it is time the town moved away from its

traditionalist way of thinking. Edmond Town Hall, she said, is no longer

suitable for the growing needs of the town. Adding on to the building should

be out of the question.

Putting all town offices on Main Street would create tremendous parking and

traffic problems, she predicts.

"You have to have a parking space for every single employee, for every town

vehicle and for all those who use the building," she says. "You also need

space for the presumption that the gym, the Alexandria Room and the movie

theater might all be used at same time."

Mrs Pilchard shudders at the thought of the increased traffic levels on an

already busy Main Street. She also wonders what the town will do with its

employees during the construction work.

"We'd have to find a place for them and there's no place available for them,"

she says, adding that any temporary move would be costly.

Mrs Pilchard, a longtime member of the Legislative Council, says an addition

to Edmond Town Hall will force the town to demolish the Hook & Ladder

firehouse immediately. Other work, including code updates, would also have to

be done simultaneously.

"With a free standing municipal building we can stagger the work needed and

make Edmond Town Hall a very functional civic center," she says. "We can space

them in so that the impact to the taxpayers is not so overwhelming."

Mrs Pilchard reminds residents that Mary Hawley gave the building to the town

as a civic center and anticipated that it would house only two or three

offices -- the first selectman, town clerk and judge of probate.

Staying On Main Street

Marie Sturdevant, a member of the Town Hall Board of Managers, is in favor of

the Edmond Town Hall addition.

"Edmond Town Hall is a very unique historical building," she says. "It was a

great gift [from Mary Hawley] to house our town offices. Its the center of our

government and should stay on Main Street."

As she points out, Newtown would lose the interest it currently receives from

the Mary Hawley trust fund if town offices ever moved out. It could also lose

the building. Mrs Hawley's will stipulates that if certain offices left, the

deed to the building could be transferred to Yale University.

Mrs Sturdevant suggests the building might lose its character if it is left

simply to serve as a movie theater, gymnasium, etc.

"We don't just want it to be an entertainment hub," she says.

Mrs Sturdevant says there is plenty of room to add on to the back of the

building.

Mrs Sturdevant believes there is plenty of room for additional parking spaces,

especially if the Hook & Ladder building is to be demolished. She maintains an

additional 30-40 parking spaces is all that would be required.

She does not expect traffic levels to be affected either, pointing out that

not everyone comes and goes at the same time.

Construction could be a problem, she says, but notes that there were few

disruptions to town workers during the building's recent roof replacement.

Decision Time

According to space needs committee chairman Bill Brimmer, the panel is nearing

decision time.

"We need some feedback on the parking situation behind Edmond Town Hall," he

says. "We also need to identify land-acquisition costs if we do use another

building. It may be on the Queen Street [which the town just agreed to

purchase] or it may be at another spot."

If the town opts to build a new town hall facility, Mr Brimmer says it would

still need to spend an estimated $3 million to renovate Edmond Town Hall and

bring it up to code.

"We will probably end up presenting more than one scenario. It's just a

question of how we'll present it to the Board of Selectmen," Mr Brimmer says.