Town Manager Proposes Study For Town/School Admin Building

WILMINGTON, MA — In what he called "a bit of a warm-up for the budget," Town Manager Jeffrey Hull proposed spending nearly $1 million for a feasibility study and schematic design for a combined town and school administrative building. In a memorandum to the selectmen he explained at their Jan. 13 meeting, Hull recommended the town authorize spending $955,000 from free cash. Both entities' administrative buildings are deficient, Hull argued.

"The school admin building ... was never really intended to be a school administrative building. It's a Victorian home that the school administration is making due with," Hull said. "Many of their staff are not able to be located at that location."

The building is too small for its purposes, Hull explained.

The town hall, meanwhile, "was converted in 1984 to be the temporary town hall. It's certainly done it's job, but ... it's not the most conducive to public meetings," the town manager said.

He proposed looking at where to site the new building, and begin designing it. Building a new combined building would also "free up" the current town hall location, Hull noted.

The proposal was not up for a vote before the selectmen; it would need to be approved by the town. The budget presentation will be at the selectmen's Jan. 27 meeting.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.