Gardner City committee hears Waterford Community Center upgrades, solar pilot and senior-center transition

Chair called the Gardner City Economic and Community Development Committee to order on May 27 and the session received a multi-part update on the Waterford Community Center and related community development work.

Mayor (speaking as Mayor) said the long-planned roof replacement and a behind-the-meter solar installation at the Waterford Community Center are now moving forward: the city pre-purchased panels and is awaiting National Grid permitting before installation, which the mayor estimated could begin within about 12 months. "That project is now finally moving forward," the Mayor said, describing a pilot arrangement that will route on-site generation directly to the building and only export excess power to the grid.

The committee heard that bathroom partitions have been replaced to meet ADA and Architectural Access Board requirements and that most HVAC work is complete; one unit is leaking and the contractor has been scheduled to repair it. The Mayor said final inspections for electrical, plumbing and building systems are still pending before the work can be closed out.

Committee members discussed accessibility and exterior work. The Mayor said a package of concrete ramps and new sidewalks is planned to remove steps at single-story entries and tie the front and side doors together. Because the ramp and sidewalk contract is expected to exceed $50,000, the city will run a formal public bid process (notice to proceed, two- or 30-day bid window, then mobilization). The Mayor described the concrete work as the lead item before paving and other site excavation.

Councilors also heard that playground equipment and rubber mulch were removed to clear the footprint for an extended parking lot. The Mayor reported the equipment originally intended for relocation to Bickford Playground was not salvageable after its footings were found to be rusted, and staff will explore funding options for new equipment. The Mayor said the parking extension could be covered within an available $90,000 appropriation with a modest contribution from Chapter 90 funds, but final design and a count of added spaces are still being prepared by the city engineer.

On social services and operations, the Mayor described an initial 90-day plan for the senior-center transition and said he and the senior-center director will refine a more concrete version for presentation to the council and the Council on Aging. The Chair told the committee she and others first learned of a $50,000 state earmark for senior-center capital improvements from a Facebook post; "we learned about it from Facebook," the Chair said, and the Mayor confirmed staff also discovered the earmark via social media and will meet with the senior-center director to determine the request's origin and intended use.

The committee received updates about tenant moves and programming at the community center. Gardner Educational Television (GED TV) is scheduled to vacate the high school and relocate into a converted art room at the community center; the station needs studio and office fit-out and may see a short interruption to new programming during the move. Growing Places and the Gardner Community Action Committee are finalizing lease needs and kitchen installation work; the CAC's kitchen space must have grease-trap and plumbing work completed before the group can move in.

Committee members asked that the Council on Aging be invited to future meetings for clear, consistent public updates on the senior-center transition and that staff coordinate communication about any earmarked funds. The Mayor said Director Stevens and staff will follow up on the earmark and other outstanding details; the committee kept community development items as recurring updates on future agendas. The session adjourned after the committee approved the March 25 minutes earlier in the meeting.

Next steps: staff will meet with the senior-center director about the $50,000 earmark, proceed with design and bidding for ramp and parking work as directed, and return progress updates to the committee.