Board leans toward public advisory committee to study reuse of former police station (food pantry in place)

The Select Board received discussion and public comment about the former police station building, which currently houses the local food pantry. Board members and members of the public discussed options including continued pantry use, a senior center, youth space or a privately run childcare program. Several residents urged that the building remain used for public benefit and cautioned that childcare would pose licensing, parking and playground requirements that the building may not easily meet.

Board members favored establishing an advisory committee — with a narrow charge and clear deliverables — to solicit public input and evaluate options and funding approaches (grants, fundraising, partnerships). Several members observed that renovation costs could be substantial: the staff memo included a ballpark figure of about $250,000 for more extensive work, and board members said they wanted community buy‑in before including significant capital in a budget request.

Several public commenters reiterated support for keeping the food pantry at the site and suggested other low‑cost community uses (senior programming, youth drop‑in activities) that would not require large capital outlays. The board asked the town manager to bring back a proposed committee charge for review and invited public comment as part of that process.