Building committee seeks $100,000–$125,000 for senior center maintenance; parking overlay and roof noted separately

The Town of Hampden building committee on Feb. 4 reported preliminary plans to seek town-meeting funding for immediate maintenance at the senior center, asking Select Board approval to place a warrant article for work that committee members estimated would cost roughly $100,000 to $125,000.

Why it matters: the recommendations address immediate accessibility, safety and usability issues for a building used by senior residents and help preserve program space without a major expansion.

Committee members described four priority maintenance items: bathroom upgrades (higher toilets, grab bars, replacement stall panels, improved lighting and ventilation), new wall-mounted storage cabinets in activity rooms, selective replacement of standard windows to improve energy efficiency, and installation of an on-site washer and dryer plus associated plumbing. The committee said it did not intend to pursue a large, $500,000 bathroom reconstruction that would require moving walls or reducing program space.

The committee offered an initial, speaker-estimated range of $100,000 to $125,000 to cover windows, bathrooms, septic adjustments and a washer/dryer; the figure was presented as a preliminary, speaker-provided estimate and not a contractor bid. Becky (speaker identified as representing the senior center committee/staff in the meeting) told the Select Board, “we're probably looking in the range of about $100,000 to $125,000 to do those,” and said the group will get a plumber’s estimate in the coming weeks.

Additional items discussed but not included in the $100,000–$125,000 estimate were a parking-lot mill-and-overlay (the highway superintendent has indicated it is likely to be scheduled), minor septic corrections (the inspector recommended adjusting settled grease-trap/septic covers and adding an effluent filter; the committee estimated about $5,000 for those fixes), and long-term systems such as roof replacement (committee members recalled a prior estimate of about $170,000) and HVAC replacement — both deferred pending further study and cost estimates.

Committee members said they will pursue potential grant funding for lighting upgrades and other energy-efficiency work but noted some grant programs prefer or prioritize non-governmental entities; the committee will still apply where appropriate. The committee also discussed options such as leasing laundry services if that proves cheaper than installing an on-site washer and dryer.

Next steps: the committee will obtain contractor quotes (a plumber is scheduled to visit in the next two weeks), refine the warrant-language and dollar amount, and seek Select Board approval to place a warrant article before the expected warrant-closing date in early March.