Council On Aging Asks Selectmen To Move Forward On Solo Senior Center

The Council on Aging has sent a letter to The Board of Selectmen stressing their preference for a stand-alone Senior Center, a plan that seemed in question when selectmen began exploring expanded senior services at the Wellesley Community Center. 

The letter asks selectmen to work to put a question approving construction on a solo center at 496 Washington St., estimated to cost $4.2 million, on the Fall Town Meeting warrant.

Last year Town Meeting approved $600,000 for design and permitting funds for a stand-alone senior center at 496 Washington St., the former site of the American Legion building.  The design work and traffic studies have been completed.

There are 78 on-site parking spaces at the Wellesley Community Center, the Senior Center's current location, but those spaces are shared between the Senior Center and the other activities scheduled for the 219 Washington St. building.  The 496 Washington St. project will provide 33 on-site parking spaces, with some on-street parking along Washington Street.

Though purchase of 494 Washington St. at $1 million for additional parking was approved by Town Meeting April 14, some residents filed a petition for a referendum to challenge the vote.  By May 10, the issue was moot, as the owners of the property indicated they weren't interested in selling.

On May 17, the Board of Selectmen voted to review the option of expanding senior services at The Wellesley Community Center.

On Monday, Council on Aging members were not in favor of a plan that kept the Senior Center at the 219 Washington St. location. "We spent a lot of time and energy on our planning," said Mary Dummer, vice chair of the council, "We would like to go forward with our planning."

Gayle Thieme, director of senior services, said the advantage of having a stand-alone center would be the freedom to schedule senior events every day, without possible conflicts with other Wellesley Community Center activities.

The council voted unanimously to send the letter Monday night, and urged supporters of the stand-alone plan to speak up. "We want everybody who's in favor to let us know and let the selectmen know," said Linda Cohen, chair of the council.