NEWBURY – The Council on Aging is looking for a new home for its programs and events that serve the seniors of this town. Its first choice to build a new senior center is town-owned land on Kent Way adjacent to the library and Little League field no. 1.
Currently, the Council on Aging’s F. Rayburn Lynch Senior Center is in rented space at 12 Kent Way that is not large enough for its programs and the senior population that uses them. The committee estimates that the senior center will need between 6,000 and 7,000 square feet, plus utility and storage space, although it may have to be much larger.
The lease on the current space expires on May 14, 2027, and the grant money funding for the council runs out at the end of this year.
The town has appointed an AdHoc Committee to assess the program needs and plan for the future. It has enlisted the help of two residents, Bob Connors and Eric Svahn, who helped the town bring the police building into existence under budget.
“We recognize that moving from the concept of a solution to an actual building can take many painful years and iterations,” the COA wrote. “As a result, we have tried to lay the ground work for the discussion.”
Based on an assessment of the current uses and insufficiencies, plus the projected changes expected in the town’s senior population, the new building would need to include: windows and skylights (if applicable) that open, a front entry and emergency rear exit with access to a 700-square-foot kitchen, a covered drop-off area, a coat closet of at least 100 square foot and no stairs or ramp into the building.
The building would also need four offices, a library and game room, an art room with a sink, a large room that can accommodate 75 people with a small stage and a large television. There could also be a large game room with a pool table.
Outside, the new building could have a covered patio, space for games, pickleball courts, a walking path and room for garden beds. It also needs parking for 40 vehicles, including eight to 10 handicapped spaces, and a garage for the senior center van.
The committee looked at senior centers in other towns similar to Newbury. In Andover is a 16,000-square-foot building with the option for 3,200 more. Chatham senior center is 14,000 square feet, and Hampton has a 10,000-square-foot center.
To reduce costs, the building might share space with other town departments. The Newburyport senior center also serves as a community building that has meeting rooms for town functions and activities.
The committee asked residents and the town Planner and Assessor for suggestions of possible sites, including town-owned parcels. Many of the town-owned sites did not contain enough buildable land.
Ten sites on the list in order of suitability for the proposed center were the land adjacent to the library, Hanover Street next to Newbury Elementary School, 25 High Road #2, the current location at 12 Kent Way, Byfield Grange Hall, old space inside the school, 19 Central Street, 84 Central Street, add a second floor to the library and build a new library on the upper green. ♦
a
