Selectmen debate proposed Bresnahan building
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The William J. Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center Building Committee is working to build a new community center at the corner of Main and River streets to replace the existing structure. JOURNAL PHOTO/CAITLYN KELLEHER

On Monday, Ashburnham Selectmen expressed differing opinions during their meeting about the speed at which the progress for the William J. Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center Building Committee is making towards their goal of building a new community center at the corner of Main and River streets.

Selectman Jonathan Dennehy reported on a meeting with the Building Committee proposing the next five steps in the process. Selectmen took action on two of the steps but delayed action on three.

"There really seems to be someone left out of the process, the town," said Selectman Christopher Gagnon. "They really need to be asked if they want another town building."

The committee is planning a two-level building, which includes a useable basement, for the Boys and Girl Scouts use as well as other community groups. The building would replace the existing abandon structure.

The committee is privately raising funds and has raised about $45,000 to date. Members hope the project is one of the building projects for students at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School next fall.

Dennehy said the purpose of two articles being requested for town meeting was ensure the project could get into the Monty Tech program. The articles Dennehy suggested to the Board were to reaffirm the Selectmen's authority to oversee and approve a project on that parcel of land, and to approve a trust fund and a trust fund committee to maintain the property.

Dennehy later in the meeting said he did not think the trust fund language would be completed by the end of the month.

Selectmen voted unanimously to put an article on the Annual Town Meeting warrant to ask voters to give the town permission to oversee the building of the community center and to deal with the property.

"I think some long-term consequences need to be addressed," Gagnon said.

He expressed concerns about increased overhead for the town such as insurance costs, including possible flood insurance.

The existing building is scheduled for demolition through a practice burn by the Fire Department on March 28. The building is a former blacksmith's shop from the 1700s, but both the building inspector and the Historical Commission have signed off on its demolition.

The Selectmen approved the demolition of building. But, Gagnon, who was not convinced that the Selectmen did not need a legal opinion to demolish the building, made confirmation of the Selectmen's power to approval demolition a condition of his support.

"I don't want to find out after we need (town meeting approval)," Gagnon said.

Dennehy said the committee was also asking the Selectmen to waive any of the building fees under their discretion and to cover the costs of the advertising for construction and permit requests.

Gagnon said he wanted to wait until after more of the details were worked out and after the Building Committee had exact costs and was actually going through the process.

In other business:

• Selectmen discussed their pleasure of the joint resolution with the state House and Senate, which increases the town's local aid by $115,000 over the aid proposed by Gov. Duval Patrick. The $115,000 brings Ashburnham's FY09 local aid even with the town's FY08 aid.

• Selectmen asked Police Chief Loring Barrett about the proposed delay in replacing a cruiser for the town's fleet. Most capital purchases were withheld from the proposed FY09 budget, including the annual purchase of a new police car because of a lack of funding.

Barrett said the marked cars are replaced approximately ever three years because that is when they reach 100,000 miles. He said it is at the 100,000-mile mark that most cars need significant repairs and maintenance.

Dennehy said he would like to see a new cruiser as one of the priorities for the $115,000 in local aid that was not part of the operating budget.

"It's one of the priorities not the top but one of the priorities," Dennehy said.

• The board also voted to give permission for board chairman Mark Carlisle to sign the agreement with the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Dennehy moved the committee give permission to have the agreement signed once the town's legal counsel reviewed it.