State wants town to use existing grant funds for Community Center

Everyone agrees that the Springfield Community Center needs some love and attention. But the town shelved a plan to apply for a $25,000 state planning grant to lay out a strategy for renovations Monday because state officials want the town to spend some of its revolving loan funds on the project instead.


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Town to plan community center improvements

Monday night, the Springfield Selectboard unanimously approved a request to apply for a planning grant from the Vermont Planning Development Program for $25,000 with a 25 percent match to investigate what work needs to be done and prioritize the needs.

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Print Email Photo by Len Emery The Springfield Community Center at the foot of Main Street in Springfield. Published April 13, 2016 in the Rutland Herald State wants town to use existing grant funds for Community Center By SUSAN SMALLHEER SPRINGFIELD – Everyone agrees that the Springfield Community Center needs some love and attention. But the town shelved a plan to apply for a $25,000 state planning grant to lay out a strategy for renovations Monday because state officials want the town to spend some of its revolving loan funds on the project instead. The Select Board held a hearing Monday night on the Community Center grant application, and the Select Board later approved the grant. But Town Manager Tom Yennerell said the grant application would be saved, since officials from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development want the town to spend some of its revolving loan funds on the project instead. The funds, he said, had been “relatively dormant.” He said it was possible that other revolving loan funds could be used for the renovations. “It’s written and ready to go,” said Yennerell of the grant application. After the hearing, Yennerell said that the town had several of the accounts, which are the result of businesses or organizations getting federal grants and loans, which require them to pay the money back to Springfield. Yennerell said that the town had more than $200,000 in one account that he would tap for the Community Center planning project. Yennerell said he was really excited about getting state approval to use some of the revolving loan funds to give out to local downtown businesses for façade improvement loans. Earlier in the evening, resident Woody Bickford spoke in favor of the effort to spruce up and renovate the Community Center. But Bickford said he hoped the planning would include looking at consolidating the town’s two senior centers — Meals on Wheels and the Springfield Senior Center — in one location. “We have to do something at least to the exterior of the Community Center,” said Selectman George McNaughton. “We can’t very well be leaning on people to fix up dilapidated buildings if the town is sitting on one that looks like 1970s tacky,” he said. “It’s an eyesore.” The building is more than 120 years old and it was the original home of the Jones and Lamson Machine Tool Co. before it moved to Clinton Street. The two buildings were built in 1893, and according to the grant proposal, was sold to the town in 1917, and the Springfield Community Center was organized in 1919. Long-range needs for the building include the replacement of windows or the closing off of unused windows on the upper levels, as well as the replacement of exterior siding, which was installed in 1976. The heating system needs additional zones, and insulation is needed in some areas of the building. Selectwoman Stephanie Thompson said the building was very well used. “It is an iconic building and generations of people have used it,” said Thompson, who said she was in favor of the building being renovated and made handicapped accessible. Bill Hanley questioned how much effort the town should put into the building. “There’s always been a parking problem and it just gets worse and worse,” he said. “There’s a parking problem in the whole town,” said Bickford. McNaughton said the location was less than ideal. “It’s a miracle that someone hasn’t been killed yet, but sometimes you have to play the cards you’re dealt with,” he said. 2016-04-12 / Front Page Town to plan community center improvements Request to apply for $25K planning grant approved By Nancy A. Cavanaugh ncavanaugh@eagletimes.com A resident enters the Springfield Senior Center, one of the functions of the town community center. The town selectboard voted Monday night to approve a request for a $25,000 grant to help renovate the facility. — D.F. DASCENZO A resident enters the Springfield Senior Center, one of the functions of the town community center. The town selectboard voted Monday night to approve a request for a $25,000 grant to help renovate the facility. — D.F. DASCENZOSPRINGFIELD — The more than 120-year-old building that houses the Springfield Community Center is in need of a facelift, inside and out. Monday night, the Springfield Selectboard unanimously approved a request to apply for a planning grant from the Vermont Planning Development Program for $25,000 with a 25 percent match to investigate what work needs to be done and prioritize the needs. The community center has been used by residents of the town for nearly a century, according to the grant application. The building houses the Springfield Senior Center and is used for many programs by the Parks and Recreation Department and organizations around the town for meetings and events. “The grant would allow us to create a master plan for the community center on Main Street to address exterior improvements, mechanical systems, energy efficiency and handicap accessibility,” said Town Manager Tom Yennerell at the meeting. “We would be able to do the work in a sequential manner so we won’t have to undo anything for future improvements.” In the application, some of the items that would possibly be addressed are the replacement of windows or closing off of windows in storage areas, replacement of 40-year-old siding, additional zones for the heating system, added insulation and improvements to the disabled access to the first floor and creating access to the second floor. The scope of the plan would be to get cost estimates for the work. Resident Woody Bickford was in favor of the grant. “I want to read from the plan from the acceptance of the prison in regards to civic improvements, This is from 15 years ago, on page 13,” he said. “One of the projects talked about was the community center. ‘You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.’ I’m glad we’re finally getting there.” Selectboard member George McNaughton was also in favor of the proposed plan. “We have to do something about the exterior. We can’t be leaning on people to clean up dilapidated buildings when we have one of our own,” he said. “It is one of the book ends of the downtown. “It is a heavily used building in an incredibly unfortunate location,” McNaughton continued. “We owe it to the town to clean up that building.” Stephanie Thompson, a selectboard member, was happy to see this action being taken. “Generations of people have had experiences there. I’m glad we’re moving forward with a plan,” she said. While the public hearing and subsequent approval was for the grant, it isn’t an option the town is likely to pursue. “It has been recommended to us that we take the funds from the revolving loan fund,” said Yennerell. “With the public hearing and your approval to apply for the grant, if we need to do that we can just go ahead with it.” Yennerell expects the plan for the community center will take six months to complete and would like to see the completion of the exterior construction by December 2017.