Gardner CAC wins committee approval to add food-preparation space, build kitchen at Waterford Community Center

The Gardner City Council Finance Committee on July 2 recommended that the full City Council authorize alterations at the Waterford Community Center to give the Gardner Community Action Committee (CAC) a dedicated food‑preparation space and to allow the CAC to construct a new kitchen there.

Mister Merrick, a city staff member, told the committee the green-shaded area on the floor plan would “delineate, to create a new food preparation space for the cafetorium,” and said the change responds to “USDA guidelines” that prevent shared kitchen areas because of cross‑contamination risks. He said the CAC will pay for the construction and that an architect recommended the proposed kitchen location because of plumbing access in the crawl space.

The committee also considered a related lease amendment to add the space labeled Unit D to the CAC’s lease; Merrick said the orange area next to the yellow area on the plan had previously been used for constituent services but that the CDBG grant terms do not allow using CDBG funds to improve municipal office space. A temporary wall between the two units would be removed to make a single kitchen area.

Councillors pressed only briefly on costs and responsibilities; one councillor asked, “Constructing a kitchen is extremely expensive. So who's taking on the cost of the service?” and Merrick answered, “Would be the CAC.” The committee voted unanimously to recommend authorization to the full council for the building alteration, the lease amendment adding Unit D, and the CAC’s construction of the kitchen.

The decisions at the Finance Committee are recommendations; final authorization rests with the full Gardner City Council.