Town of Hampden committee readies public forum after survey finds most favor preservation but worry about costs

The Town of Hampden Old Townhouse Committee met April 14, 2026, at Town Hall to review a community survey and to plan a public forum and outreach campaign in advance of a future town meeting. The committee’s presenter said, “We had 287 responses,” and walked members through demographics and option preferences.

The presenter said the survey skewed older — “73% of people have lived in Hampden for at least 15 years” — and that the three preservation-related options combined to about 51% of responses while the options to sell or convert the building to a fire station drew roughly 8% and 5%, respectively. “The cost is the biggest concern,” the presenter added, noting that many people favored saving the building in principle but balked once estimated costs were presented.

Committee members reviewed a restructured positioning memorandum that lists nine options for the Old Townhouse, including doing nothing,…