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Community Center director asks council to budget for sprinkler and major repairs at 34 Commons; lease extension discussed
Summary
Amy Moody, director of the Little Compton Community Center, asked the Town Council to include funding for sprinkler systems and tank excavation at 34 Commons—ballpark estimate ~$250,000—and to consider lease-extension or ownership options to help the nonprofit pursue grant funding for needed capital work.
Amy Moody, director of the Little Compton Community Center, asked the Town Council to consider budgeting funds to address required fire‑safety upgrades and larger deferred capital repairs at 34 Commons, a town‑owned property the center leases.
Moody said the state fire marshal requires a sprinkler system for continued occupancy and the center is in year 33 of a 50‑year lease. She reported preliminary ballpark costs she had received: about $75,000 per building for sprinklers (two tanks), plus roughly $100,000 for tank excavation and related work—together an estimated quarter‑million dollars for immediate work. Moody said a formal price will follow in four to six weeks after more detailed quotations.
Moody told the council the center’s lease assigns major structural and system repairs to the lessor (the town), and she requested that the council appoint representatives to meet with her board to clarify responsibilities and consider whether extending or renewing the lease would allow the center to pursue capital grants. Council members said extending the lease could make the center more competitive for grant funding and agreed to meet with center representatives.
Council discussion noted a 2023 building inspection had identified 33 findings, including roof, siding and window work needing attention. Officials agreed that immediate sprinkler work was urgent because without it the center could not legally offer childcare.
No funding vote was taken at the meeting; councilors asked staff and the solicitor to review lease language and to return with more detailed cost estimates and options for lease extension or ownership transfer.
