Selectboard approves Merck grant for meetinghouse rehab, pushes heat pumps to bottom of priority list

The Leicester selectboard voted April 9 to accept a revised Merck grant agreement to rehabilitate the town’s historic meetinghouse, with the board prioritizing envelope improvements and accessibility work and moving mechanical upgrades lower in the scope.

Board members said insulation, roof replacement, storm windows and an ADA-accessible entrance are the top priorities. “Insulation, the roof, windows and the ADA ramp are the things we want to get done first,” one selectboard member said during a detailed budget review. Historic-preservation input shaped the window work; the architect and historic-preservation reviewers adjusted the scope before the board meeting.

Members debated whether to include a new ducted heat-pump system (partially subsidized by GMP) or to pursue a conventional furnace. The plan submitted to Buildings and General Services included heat pumps with an electrical upgrade; several members said heat pumps add cost and complexity for a building that sees only intermittent use. The board voted to approve the grant and the architect contract provided that mechanical work (heat pumps) be pushed to the end of the scope and re-evaluated if funds remain.

Board members noted there is a modest contingency in the contract and that final costs will depend on what contractors find once work begins. The board asked staff to confirm with the architect that removing heat pumps from the priority list would not breach the contract terms and to notify Buildings and General Services of the board’s decision to place the heat-pump work last in priority.