It’s official. The Marion Board of Selectmen on December 20 formally voted to designate the old VFW building as the town’s senior center, dubbing it the new “Benjamin D. Cushing Senior Center/Community Center”.
Marion Council on Aging Chairman Joanne Mahoney, with COA Director Heather Silvia by her side, asked the selectmen to designate the building. Mahoney emphasized – several times – her preference for the selectmen to place the emphasis on a senior center as the principal use of the building, with her determination eliciting a few chuckles from the roomful of senior center supporters.
Selectmen in their motion specified the senior center designation primarily for a Monday through Friday schedule, leaving room for community and recreational events for weekends.
Elections would also still be held at the 465 Mill Road building.
“We need to follow the wishes of the VFW,” commented Selectman Stephen Cushing when it came time for a motion.
Marion Finance Committee Chairman Alan Minard, present for the meeting, stated that funding could be squeezed from the reserve fund to get some priority upgrades completed as soon as possible, such as the electrical upgrading and the renovation of the restrooms for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
Total estimated costs for all renovations of the building are well into the mid-$90,000 range, but Minard said, “I think that we could … certainly get started on the big stuff.”
Once the vote was taken, the room erupted into applause and smiles.
In other business, a roomful of Planting Island residents voiced opposition to a proposed aquaculture farm sited for a location southeast of Meadow Island.
Applicant Chris Bryant, accompanied by his two brothers Ben and Nat, faced a number of concerns and questions about impeding navigation of the channel and recreational use of the location.
After much discussion, including the possibility of moving the site slightly to further avoid obstructing the passage of boats through the 200-foot channel, selectmen continued the matter to allow Bryant and members of the planting Island Homeowners Association to meet and come to an agreement, if possible, on how to proceed to please both residents and applicants.
Also during the meeting, Minard and Planning Board Chairman Robert Lane, present as individuals not representing their respective boards, addressed the selectmen regarding a new approach to the Town House renovation matter.
The men proposed exploring the VFW property as a possible site for a new town hall campus-style building, in hopes that this would be favorable to the townspeople since it could be a more cost-effective way to satisfy the needs of the Town.
Minard and Lane proposed an independent committee to study just the VFW property option so the town could compare “an apple and an orange” when weighing the benefits to each proposal.
Selectmen agreed to allow a committee of five to form, and asked Minard and Lane to submit a formal proposal and purpose statement for the committee before the Board of Selectmen appoint any members.
In other matters, the board authorized the transfer of an aquaculture license held by Catherine Brodeur to Shea Doonan. When asked by selectmen if she had simply had enough of the business, Brodeur quietly replied, “No, I’m not feeling too well.”
Attorney Patricia McArtle also introduced an article on behalf of her client for placement on the Spring Annual Town Meeting in 2017 proposing a zoning change for a prospective development site currently zoned as commercial/light industrial. The change, if adopted by town meeting voters, would change the zoning to a ‘Residential E’ zone.
A hearing pertaining to an alleged attack by a dog owned by Gregory Silva was continued at the defendant’s request until the next meeting.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for January 3, 2017 at 7:00 pm at the Marion Town House.
By Jean Perry