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Resident urges town to secure accessible space for COA thrift shop after church sale
Summary
At the June 8 Littleton Council on Aging meeting, resident Vera Cohen urged the board to help find an accessible, low‑cost site for the COA thrift shop after the Baptist church that hosted it began closing; board members said an architect is evaluating the town hall for potential reuse but no decision will be made until costs and repairs are assessed.
Vera Cohen, a longtime Littleton resident, told the Council on Aging board on June 8 that the center’s thrift shop needs a centrally located, accessible home after the nearby Baptist church began closing.
“I’m here because I’m hoping that we can have a thrift shop that is successful and very amenable to the people coming to this center,” Cohen said, urging the board to prioritize a site that does not require patrons to have a car. Cohen said the thrift shop is the Friends’ largest fundraiser and that moving to a rented location would reduce proceeds: “That takes away from the money we’re raising for the senior center.”
Director Liz acknowledged the thrift shop’s value and told the board an architect is reviewing the town‑hall building to determine what repairs (including HVAC and septic) would be required to reuse the space. Board members said they support finding a solution but emphasized that no formal decision can be made until the architect completes the assessment and the town estimates costs.
Cohen said the Baptist church’s final service had occurred recently and that the Friends face uncertainty about how quickly they must vacate. She gave an example figure for moving and ongoing occupancy costs: $400 per month in rent plus insurance, which the Friends said would substantially reduce fundraising net revenue.
Board members encouraged Friends representatives to attend a select‑board meeting that evening and to keep the council informed. The board placed the matter for continued discussion once the architect’s cost and feasibility review is available.
