Westborough finance panel backs $1.13M design transfer for community/senior center

The Westborough Advisory Finance Committee voted to recommend that town meeting approve a $1,131,413 transfer from the Del Webb Chauncey Lake Stabilization Fund to pay for design development, public engagement, detailed cost estimates and bid documents for the proposed Westborough Community Center, a phased project that begins with a senior center component.

The committee heard a presentation from architect Joel Bargmann, who described the phase-1 senior center as roughly 10,000 square feet and reviewed site work, accessible parking and interior reconfigurations. Bargmann said the design deliberately separates the initial senior center fit-out from future build-outs — including a veterans lounge, a multipurpose auditorium and a second-floor gym and track — so the town can bid and control scope incrementally.

“A lot of the work we’ve done is to categorize costs by phase and to provide alternates,” Bargmann said during the presentation, explaining that stair and elevator work, rooftop HVAC replacement, and pool renovation were being framed as add‑alternates or future phases so voters can decide which pieces to fund later. He noted the team had solicited community input — more than 1,200 survey responses and several in-person meetings — and that public feedback emphasized flexible multipurpose space and storage.

Why it matters: The committee’s recommendation is a procedural but necessary step so the town can pay for the next stage of design and obtain hard construction bids. Committee members repeatedly stressed that design fees and OPM work are intended to deliver definitive prices for a future construction vote, allowing residents to weigh borrowing against alternatives such as grants or phased capital requests.

Committee discussion centered on costs and phasing. Members referenced earlier, larger estimates for a more extensive build-out (discussed at figures in the mid‑$15 million range during earlier planning) and acknowledged that the current phase‑1 estimate—discussed in the meeting at roughly $11–12 million after rebates and scope reductions—remains sizable. The architect and town staff told the committee that some energy‑efficiency work (including heat‑pump rooftop replacements) could qualify for rebates — Eversource consultants estimated rebates in the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars — but emphasized that rebates would be realized after construction and require upfront funding.

Several members said the project’s phasing and the new cost itemization addressed earlier concerns about scope and transparency. Others remained wary of the overall price tag and asked for clearer, voter‑facing estimates of the tax impact (borrowing scenarios, potential offsets such as sale of the existing senior center, and grant prospects). One member described their position as a reluctant yes: supporting design work to produce reliable bids while reserving judgment on final construction spending.

What the committee approved: A motion by McMahon, seconded by Bradley, to recommend that town meeting transfer $1,131,413 from the Del Webb Chauncey Lake Stabilization Fund to fund design and bid documents for the Westborough Community Center. The committee recorded its recommendation by roll call and the motion carried, enabling the town to proceed to detailed design and bidding.

Next steps: The approved funds will be used to complete design development, additional public engagement, and to produce bid documents and refined cost estimates; those bid results will inform a later town meeting vote on borrowing for construction. Town staff said they will continue to pursue possible grant sources for emergency management components (including an emergency generator) and will report revised cost and tax‑impact figures when available.