Freetown — The joint Council on Aging (COA)–Library Building Committee voted 4–2 and the Board of Selectmen later voted unanimously to move forward with a design that follows the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) grant program for a combined COA-library building on Sept. 29, 2025.

The committee’s vote directs the designer and owner’s project manager to continue developing a design based on the MBLC-funded program — a schematic that would yield a roughly 24,000-square-foot combined facility (a 14,000-square-foot library, a 7,000-square-foot COA facility and about 2,600 square feet of shared flex/meeting space). The MBLC design grant makes a larger project financially feasible, but presenters warned the board that the town faces a choice: design to the MBLC program and pursue construction reimbursement, or reduce the building program to an entirely town-funded option that would not be eligible for MBLC construction funds.

The MBLC route carries both potential savings and risks. Mark Champagne, the owner’s project manager with P3, estimated the total project cost at about $22.8 million and said the net out-of-pocket cost to the town under the MBLC scenario would be about $14 million (the MBLC covers the remainder through reimbursable installments). Champagne told the committee the town has contracted the designer for a $160,000 fee to reach schematic design and that redesigning the project to a smaller, town-funded option would add roughly $100,000 in design costs.

Why it matters: The MBLC grant would fund a substantial part of construction but requires that the building be designed to the program the grant approved. Champagne said deviating materially from the 14,000-square-foot library program would jeopardize the grant and could require the town to return design funds or rework the design. Committee members and selectmen also discussed state “3 a” zoning compliance actions the town faces; if the town later fails a state-mandated compliance step, it could lose eligibility for MBLC construction funds.

Details and votes
- Project sizing and cost: Option 1 (MBLC-funded design) — combined 24,000 square feet; total project cost about $22.8 million; town net cost ~ $14 million. Option 2 (no MBLC construction reimbursement) — a smaller building (roughly 7,000 sq ft library + 7,000 sq ft COA, side-by-side) with an estimated town cost of about $14.9 million. Champagne said the architectural fee for Option 1 was shown in project materials at about $1.6 million and Option 2 about $1.0 million; furniture, fixtures & equipment, site work, and construction oversight are included in the totals presented.
- Grant reimbursement schedule (as described by the project manager): MBLC disburses in five 20% milestones: acceptance into the grant, completion of construction drawings, building permit (after bid and award), certificate of occupancy, and one year after occupancy. The town will need to appropriate funds up front and can cash-flow reimbursements, but some borrowing will likely be required to bridge reimbursements.
- Risks discussed: potential state clawback or reallocation if the town later becomes ineligible; timing pressure to meet MBLC schematic deadlines (designer said December is tight but possible); ongoing uncertainty about state zoning enforcement (“3 a”) that could affect eligibility.

Votes and next steps
- COA–Library Building Committee (advisory): voted 4–2 in favor of pursuing Option 1 (design to the MBLC program). The meeting record did not record individual committee yes/no votes by name for the 4–2 tally.
- Board of Selectmen: after the Committee discussion selectmen voted to proceed with Option 1. Selectman vote (roll call): Selectman Lopes — Yes; Selectman Zager — Yes; Selectman Matthews — Yes.
- Budget perimeter: the Board set a not-to-exceed budget of $15,000,000 (motion approved by roll call: Lopes — Yes; Zager — Yes; Matthews — Yes).
- Scheduling: the project manager said he would provide a proposed schedule and next-phase dates by the end of the week or early the following week. If the town later elects to redesign to the smaller Option 2, Champagne estimated schematic design and a reliable estimate could be ready by March.

Quotes
- Mark Champagne, owner’s project manager, P3: “We don’t want the designer to continue down a path where he has to go through much redundancy in his work. … These dollar figures I’m giving you tonight are certainly just order of magnitude numbers.”
- Wayne Jay, vice chair of the COA Library Building Committee: (led committee process and called for roll call; committee members provided feedback and asked questions during the discussion.)
- Amy Seifer, chair of the library trustees: “If we had an auditorium… the MBLC is not going to come in and say this is a book talk only. It’s about the community.”

What was not decided
- No construction contract was approved and no change to the MBLC grant was requested. The committee and selectmen directed staff and designers to proceed with the MBLC-based design track and to return with schedule, budget details, and refined program materials. If the town later becomes ineligible for MBLC construction funding, selectmen indicated the town would revisit scale and funding options.

Clarifying details
- Shared/meeting space in the MBLC design: about 2,600 square feet (flexible partitions envisioned).
- Designer contract (current): $160,000 to reach schematic design; redesign estimated additional ~$100,000 if switching program.
- Estimated operating costs for a building of this size: roughly $150,000–$175,000 per year (estimate provided for comparison to existing facilities).

Proper names referenced: P3 (owner’s project manager), Johnson Rogers (design firm, as referenced), Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), Town of Freetown, Council on Aging (COA).

Ending — what comes next
Town staff and the designer will prepare a proposed schedule and an updated budget perimeter for the committee and selectmen. The committee’s decision to pursue the MBLC route keeps that funding path open while the town continues to watch state zoning developments and refines cost and operational projections.