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Select Board approves minor Saltmarsh Senior Center expansion to add ~600 sq ft
Summary
The Select Board unanimously consented to a modest 10‑foot harbor‑side expansion of the Saltmarsh Senior Center that would add roughly 600 square feet and relieve capacity constraints; the town owns the land and consent is conditioned on permitting and a future license agreement.
The Nantucket Select Board voted unanimously Jan. 14 to consent to a modest expansion of the Saltmarsh Senior Center that would add roughly 600 square feet to the harbor side of the building.
John Copenhaver, president of the Nantucket Center for Elder Affairs, told the board the building — owned by the Center while the town owns the land — has experienced a surge in use and is ‘‘bursting at the seams.’’ He said the proposed work would push the exterior wall out about 10 feet and yield roughly a 38% increase in usable indoor space, allowing simultaneous programs the current layout cannot accommodate.
The expansion is intentionally limited. Copenhaver said a larger rebuild would trigger current building‑code requirements that could require demolishing and replacing the 1985 structure; the incremental approach preserves the existing building while adding space.
Board members praised the plan as a ‘‘common‑sense’’ way to add capacity. A motion to approve select‑board consent passed without opposition. Tracy McDonald, the town’s real‑estate manager, said town counsel has reviewed the proposed consent and that final construction will require separate permitting; when the project is ready to proceed the parties will execute a license agreement spelling out conditions and next steps.
The Select Board’s consent authorizes the Center to continue permitting and funding steps but does not itself grant construction rights over town land; the parties will return with the license agreement before work begins.
