Comments and more info about Steel Building

In response to the posting earlier this week about the Feasibility Committee's visit to a steel-frame constructed building in Hopedale, read these comments, by clicking here:
COMMENTS

I'd love to hear from other members of the Feasibility Committee about their thoughts on these plans!

If not Town Hall, then Where?

• We all know about the original proposal for a new 18,000 sq.ft. Library to be built in the Planned Village on Maple Ave, which did not happen.
  
  
  

• We also all know that the Town chose not to purchase the Maple Ave property when it was offered for sale.
  
  

• What many people may NOT know, however, is how all of this affected our Library Construction Grant from the MBLC.
  

Once again, I will ask for someone with the facts and details to send some info to be posted here, to help educate and inform our citizens of what has happened, what is happening, and what MIGHT happen with the existing grant, and info about any other site possibilities/options.

Info about the 'Library-in-Town-Hall' proposal

In response to my earlier post, regarding the comment someone made about this proposal, Matthew has included the following info:

Renovating the current Town Hall and using the space that is currently the Gym/Stage area for a library:

1. 1) A local architect volunteered his time and skills to create several conceptual plans for renovations of Town Hall. At the request of the Library Trustees, one of these possible plans included converting the gym and "little town hall" area into roughly 8,500 square feet of library space.
2. 2) The Board of Selectmen presented a request to the Community Preservation Committee to use CPA funds to pay for the design and development of construction documents. This request was for about $650,000 and would not have added to the tax rate. The version of the project that was presented to the CPC mentioned the library as one possible use of the renovated building, but did not assign any specific space or priority to the library. The CPC rejected this request, citing a need for more specific information.
3. 3) The next steps for this project to proceed are in the hands of the Selectmen. They may either a) stop working on the project entirely; b) appoint a building feasibility committee to develop more specific plans; c) present a revised request to the CPC.

The Board of Library Trustees is still interested in pursuing the possibility of renovating part of Town Hall into library space, but until the Selectmen decide to take the next step, there is little for the Trustees to do.

If library supporters would like to help push the Town Hall renovation idea along, they should contact the Board of Selectmen by any means (personal contact, email, letter) and indicate that they would like to see specific plans for Town Hall renovation, and request that library space be included and that library representatives be appointed to any Town Hall feasibility committee that is formed.

-Matthew Bachtold, Library Director

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Contact info:
Upton Board of Selectmen: (all elected for 3-yr terms)

• Robert J. Fleming, Chairman
  
• Kenneth E. Picard, Member
  
• Michael Goodwin, Member
  

1 Main Street
PO Box 479
Upton, MA 01568

Telephone: 508-529-6901
Fax: 508-529-1010

Admin Asst: James R. Bates, Sr
jbates.selectmen@upton.ma.us

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Board of Library Trustees: (all elected for 3-yr terms)

• John Robertson Jr., Chairman
  
• Erin Alcott
• Charlotte Carr
• Judith Katz
  
• Kathleen E. Kelley
• George Klink
• John Minnucci
• Candace E. Reid
• Linda D. White

2 Main Street
PO Box 1196
Upton, MA 01568

The Board of Library Trustees holds an open, public meeting on the first Monday night of each month, at 7pm, at Memorial School.

Library in Town Hall??

I'm very interested in the comment that someone posted on the blog last night, referring to proposed Town Hall renovations.

Read the post here.

Could someone with the facts about this proposal please post the details here? I think it would be very interesting and helpful, to make sure we're all aware of the possibilities.

Thank you all again for your support, and for taking the time to get involved and help educate our community!