Perplexed by a proposal to form yet another committee to study town house project options, the original Marion Town House Building Committee on December 29 expressed their preference to first meet with critics of the current town house project trajectory before a formal meeting with selectmen on January 26.
On December 21, Planning Board Chairman Robert Lane and Finance Committee Chairman Alan Minard approached the Board of Selectmen, asking to form a committee to exclusively study the viability of building a new town hall at the VFW building recently acquired by the town at 465 Mill Road.
Town House Building Committee members, who have been working together for roughly two years progressing towards a town house renovation and expansion that is feasible yet palatable to taxpayers, were taken aback somewhat, surprised that neither Minard nor Lane had ever approached the committee with their idea, nor had they ever attended a committee meeting over the past months.
Committee members shared their reaction to the selectmen’s indulging Lane’s and Minard’s committee request in a recent letter to the editor written just after the December 17 meeting.
“We are frustrated and puzzled by this plan,” wrote Meg Steinberg, Wayne Mattson, and Bob Raymond, members of the THBC. “This decision directly contradicts [the selectmen’s] prior reasoning. Such a plan undermines the integrity of the Town House Building Committee and the professional consultant team who continue to conduct a fair and unbiased study of the issue.”
During a discussion amongst themselves, committee members went further to say that they were uncertain whether Lane, who the committee acknowledged made his career building office buildings, clearly understood how a municipal building project could differ from a regular office building project when it came to specifications.
“[Lane and Minard] didn’t have a clear proposal on how they were going to get it done,” said Raymond, after he commented that selectmen basically “kicked the can down the road” by allowing Minard and Lane to start a new building study committee. “I’m not sure they know what’s involved in this project.”
The notion had committee members asking, why form another committee to duplicate the work one already has done for many months?
The timing of the acquisition of the VFW was a factor, supposed committee member Lynne Crocker.
“It landed in our laps just as we were tying everything up,” said Crocker. “It threw a monkey wrench into the whole thing.” Crocker then suggested, “Maybe we should just lay low and leave it to the selectmen now.”
The committee agreed that it would be more amiable if Lane and Minard would attend the town house building committee’s next meeting on January 12 at the Marion Town House, before the January 26 meeting when both parties will address the selectmen.
By Jean Perry