Facilities committee presents 195‑page plan recommending repurposing of Jeffrey School and DPW upgrades, estimates multi‑year cost

David Cademos, chair of the facilities committee, presented a 195‑page draft facilities plan the committee developed over roughly 2.5 years, telling the board the effort assembled core data on town buildings, land and operating costs and then distilled options for next‑step feasibility work.

"Facts are the facts," Cademos said during the presentation. "We have 22 buildings. The facts are that we have too much space in this town right now, and we don't need it all, and that we can actually do better with less space." He described a planning framework that would prioritize maximizing utilization, preserving historic assets, and coordinating capital investments to reduce total costs.

Key recommendations and findings in the presentation included: keeping and repurposing Jeffrey School as a multi‑program educational and community hub; demolishing Ryerson because of its condition and limited reuse options; integrating DPW grounds and storage needs at an expanded site as a near‑term priority; and protecting a Historic Common area that links downtown historic buildings and community space. The committee identified roughly 136 housing units as a potential development volume across several town parcels as one option and flagged three specific town parcels for further feasibility work (Ridge Road, Durham Road and the Bauer Farm parcel), noting constraints such as septic and water testing requirements.

Cademos gave a planning‑level cost range for a full program of roughly $65–70 million over 10–15 years and urged staged implementation. He also said the committee estimated reductions in town building square footage of roughly 11–12% under some scenarios. "If you follow this plan, we think we can reduce our square footage by 11 or 12%," he said, urging the board to treat the document as a framework rather than a fixed blueprint.

Board members and residents followed with detailed questions about sequencing, financing and public outreach. Selectmen asked the committee to break the work into digestible public rollouts, prioritize Jeffrey and DPW work, and coordinate the plan with the town strategic plan, CIP and the affordable housing planning work. Several speakers asked for verification of technical estimates (water, septic, and site testing) before committing to specific development options.

The committee recommended a phased, public‑engagement approach to implementation; the board agreed to take more time to review the draft, ensure the updated slide deck and report are issued to members, and bring the plan forward for additional public rollout and prioritization work.