After a bid to build a new senior center was defeated at a special Town Meeting in the fall, voters in East Bridg-ewater will consider funding just the design of a new home for the town’s senior citizens.

Last year’s measure involved a debt exclusion, a temporary tax hike, that would have funded a new senior center at Sachem Rock Farm.  This year, Article 16 in the annual Town Meeting warrant seeks $275,000 for architectural plans.

Council on Aging Director Jane Haines said many of the questions about the previous request centered around details of what would be built.

“A number of people questioned how the money would be spent, what the building would look like,” she said, noting that at the time, the design costs were rolled into the debt exclusion. “This time … we decided to just ask the town to fund the plan.”

The plans, Haines said, would be all-encompassing, including plans for a parking lot, septic system, etc.

“People would be able to look at this and see what the building would look like,” she said. “At this point we would just like to make some progress towards building the building.”

The article on the warrant is a citizen’s petition, not a request from the Council on Aging.  Haines explained that some residents were worried after last year’s rejection that the issue wouldn’t get on the warrant, so they gathered enough signatures for a citizens petition.  An early draft of the warrant actually had two articles asking for the same amount of money, but the decision was made to include the petition article only.

“It was never the intent to have two articles,” said Haines.

Haines said the building may have the name of senior center, but it would be open to all residents.

“This building would be the home of the Council on Aging … but we do serve people of all ages here,” she said.  “The building would be available for the community.”

Haines also noted the plans would not limit the use of the grounds, which are now used for walking and other passive recreation.  The new center will need a parking lot.

“Other than that, there won’t be a lot of impact on the property,” Haines said.

Haines said the council is already working with an architect, and if the article at Town Meeting is approved, they would look to hold a public form sometime in the fall. 

“Then we’d try to work with the town to find a way to fund the construction of the building,” she said.

Haines said the need for a new home for the Council on Aging is greater than ever.

“The numbers of people we service … our attendance has gone up,” she said.  “It’s growing daily.”

The current facility, between the town hall and the Central Elementary School, has a host of issues, according to Haines, including size, handicapped accessibility and egress.  The building shares a steep driveway with the police station.

“It’s not safe,” said Haines.

Haines said she hopes the town will move forward with a new senior center, for the sake of the town’s elderly population.

“With all that they have given to this community,” she said.  “They really deserve a place where they can come and be comfortable.”