By Jennifer Boenig
The Gray Community Economic Development Committee has presented their
recommendations to the town council regarding a plan to construct a new
town office complex.
Last Thursday, committee members hammered out the final details of
their report which they presented to council members during this week’s
council workshop.
“Several months ago, the council requested that the CEDC develop cost
estimates for several alternatives related to the relocation of our
currently overcrowded town office,” said Jeanne Carpentier, chairwoman
of the Community Economic Development Committee. “The charge was then
fine-tuned to two items: The first was to determine the costs to
construct a new town hall and to not consider the cost of the land in
this scenario. The second was to determine the best method to renovate,
alter and/or add on to Pennell.”
The committee members ended up examining four possible scenarios:
moving the town offices to the 1954 section of the historic Pennell
Institute building, constructing a new town office complex on an
unknown lot, building a new 4,500 square foot assemblage building or
renovating the 1876 portion of Pennell Institute.
Don Hutchings, a member of the Community Economic Development
Committee, told councilors that Ron Norton of NBBR, N.G. Bailey and
OEST Associates provided estimates at no cost to the town. Estimates
given for renovating the 1954 section of Pennell were $1,374,200 and to renovate the inside and outside of the 1876 section of Pennell
Institute was approximately $678,000. If a new town office was built on
an undetermined lot, the estimate was
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$2,129,493 and the cost to
construction a separate 4,500 square foot assemblage facility is
$966,227.
“We’ve engaged three very well-qualified people and they’ve come back
with very hard numbers and these numbers, like the old saying goes is,
we’re pretty sure you can go to the bank with these,” said Hutchings.
The final recommendations from the committee to councilors were to
utilize and renovate the old and new sections of the Pennell complex
for the town office. Committee members felt there was enough space
available at Pennell to forgo building a new assemblage facility. They
also recommended the Gray Historical Society stay at Pennell Institute
and to have town councilors enter into a dialogue with the historical
society and Pennell alumni association to develop a financial
arrangement for the use of the facility.
“We strongly recommend that the town office relocation be coupled with
a commitment to sell the existing town office complex of the old post
office, the existing town office and Stimson Hall and utilize the
funding from the sale to defer the cost of the renovation work at
Pennell,” said Carpentier.
All council members thanked the Community Economic Development
Committee for their hard work and for providing such a detailed report.
The councilors then discussed the best way to write out the various
options as a referendum question for November’s ballot. Town Manager
Deborah Cabana explained to councilors that with a binding referendum,
the winning option must receive 50 percent plus one majority vote.“I think what the council has to decide is: are there two questions or
are there three?” said Peter Gellerson, chairman of the town council.
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Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) is shown around the Pennell Institute by Gray Historical Society President Louise Knapp. Collins said she is willing to help look for federal funding for the restoration of the old school building. Dan Gelinas photo |
“I can easily see new (complex) versus Pennell as being potentially the
only two questions with none of the above.”
Councilors carried on a lengthy discussion about how many and whatquestions to pose on the ballot. Councilors Tracy Scheckel and Mark
Grover discussed presenting the idea of the new town office being built
where the current town office is without taking Stimson Hall into
account.
“I’m personally a little uncomfortable putting a $2 million dollar
question on the ballot without a piece of property to build it on even
in our heads, let alone ask the public,” said Scheckel. Councilor Matt
Sturgis said the people have indicated they want the town office
complex at Pennell and the committee’s recommendation supports Pennell
as well.
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to deal with Pennell. We need to figure out what we’re going
to do with it and if we’re going to move the town office over there,
then that’s what we do,”said Councilor Margaret Hutchins. “If we start
adding this whole complex, we’re getting away from the whole Pennell
issue and that’s not what we should be doing.”
Chairman Gellerson asked councilors to each craft a ballot question and
they could continue their debate at next week’s council meeting
scheduled for Sept. 2. Members of the Community Economic Development
Committee are also planning on attending the council meeting to answer
any questions the public may have regarding their report.
Gray residents will vote to approve a plan for the town hall in
November on national Election Day. |
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