Architects present clubhouse feasibility study; historic‑commission review could delay demolition up to 270 days

Architects from Bechtel Frank Erickson told the Town of Westborough Municipal Building Committee on July 25 that their feasibility study offers two renovation schemes that work within the existing clubhouse footprint and several new‑construction layouts that would add parking and change circulation.

"This is our second kind of presentation of our feasibility study," said one of the presenters, describing options that either restore the front farmhouse character or preserve the front volume while building a new addition behind it. The renovation options aim to keep the historic front gable and porch as a formal dining or function space while shifting casual dining and the bar toward the rear; the new‑construction options aim to gain roughly 11 parking spaces and increase estimated restaurant occupancy from the old building’s posted 103 to the 140–150 range in some schemes.

Committee members repeatedly raised constructability and operational concerns, including low basement ceiling heights, plumbing and egress access, how to provide bathroom access to golfers when the pro shop and a privately operated restaurant have different hours, and the need for a separate function room that could serve tournaments. "I definitely like the idea of having the bar, the casual separated from the dining area," said Matt, who spoke as the club representative and pressed for operational changes that would allow golfers to get quick food and bathroom access without circulating through a private dining room.

Fred Linnaro, the town’s building commissioner and community development director, told the committee that the town bylaw treats structures built in 1950 or earlier as subject to historical‑commission review. "If you demolish 25% or more of a structure built before 1950, it has to go through historical commission," he said, explaining that the commission can hold hearings and, in some cases, delay demolition for up to 270 calendar days. Linnaro said architects can submit a demolition permit to trigger the review process so the commission may begin consideration earlier in the design timeline.

Architects and several members said that while renovation could be designed to preserve historic character, the cost and unknown conditions revealed during demolition or gutting can make renovation competitively expensive compared with building new. The feasibility team recommended cost estimating from a professional cost estimator once the committee narrows preferred schemes to better compare renovation vs. new construction.

No formal decisions were made at the July 25 meeting. The committee lost quorum late in the discussion and agreed to invite the historical commission to the next meeting, ask the architects to incorporate the operational suggestions from Matt and others, and return with updated plans, occupancy calculations and refined parking counts.

Procedural notes: the committee approved the prior meeting minutes at the start of the session (Peter moved; Jim seconded; the record shows 5 in favor and 1 abstention). A motion to adjourn later in the meeting was moved and seconded and carried with four members present.