Committee weighs opening Ashley Park Warming House community room for seniors; item tabled pending follow-up

Councilors urged the City Property Committee to pursue reopening the Ashley Park Warming House community room during weekdays so seniors in the South End would have an indoor place to gather. Committee members described existing Saturday and limited Friday programs and said residents have asked for daytime access Monday through Friday.

Parks, Recreation and Beaches representative Isidro Thomas Jr., who manages out-of-school-time programs, told the committee the department lacks capacity and funding to staff a daily weekday program. Thomas said the department is down two full-time administrative positions and relies heavily on grant funding to support programs and staff; those constraints limit the department’s ability to open the building every weekday without additional staff or outside…