Senior citizens and residents interested in learning more about the new senior center, a phase I component of a larger Community Center project, filled every available seat in the main room of Newtown Senior Center  on Thursday, February 26, as First Selectman Pat Llodra, architects, and planners offered information and answered questions.

The purpose of the afternoon meeting, Mrs Llodra said, was “to help you understand possibilities going forward.” Mrs Llodra said the planners “want to share their visions,” and indicating a power point display she introduced seniors to the concepts and possibilities, she said. Earmarked for construction is a site at Fairfield Hills adjacent to NYA Sports & Fitness Center.

Thanks to a gift from The GE Foundation, the town of Newtown will soon begin the design and construction of a new community center to house an expanded senior center and a new aquatic center for community use. The entire gift of $15 million will be applied in phases to fund project construction and costs.

The February 26 meeting hosted by the Commission on Aging is part if a larger group of informational meetings. A second day of information sessions hosted by that commission is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, with sessions at 11 am and 1 pm, at the senior center.

Meetings hosted by the Parks & Recreation Commission are also slated, including one on Tuesday, March 10, at 6 pm, in the lower conference room at Town Hall South. A presentation that had been scheduled for March 3 was postponed due to the weather, and will now take place Tuesday, March 24, at 7 pm, in the Council Chambers at Newtown Municipal Center.

Officials aim to inform residents about the project ahead of a, April 28 referendum to approve funding.

The April 28 referendum is to gain required taxpayer approval to spend the stipulated GE grant — a $15 million gift to Newtown from General Electric. The grant is stipulated to provide $10 million for development and construction of a community center, with the balance devoted to a minimum of five years of operational programming at $1 million per year. But one of the most favorable outcomes of the operational grant is the ability to extend the $5 million to cover not just the first five, but the first 15 years of operation, according to center advisory committee co-leader Andrew Clure.

Selectmen on February 27 changed the date for the referendum, originally scheduled for March 21, seeking voter approval for the GE gift. The April 28 annual budget referendum will now include a questions to gain required taxpayer approval to spend the stipulated GE grant. Mrs Llodra had stated  that she would like additional time for community engagement and discussion for the community center project.

Regarding the initial session with senior citizens, Mrs Llodra said on February 26, that “This is the first step of a long conversation.”

Future Possibilities Discussed

On Thursday afternoon, Mr Clure stood before attendees, offering them “a view from the balcony,” or broad overview of projects concepts, to date. No final decisions have been made, he said. Instead, he walked them through current planning, hoping to “guide your decision.”

He spoke of future senior center possibilities, a dedicated entrance, large multi-purpose room, arts and crafts room, a kitchen, health services and administrative offices, storage space, and more.

The conceived new space can host several activities at once, rather than remain limited by space constraints that exist at the current location. New spaces will be open to “new ideas for what seniors want to do,” Mr Clure said.

Commission on Aging Chair Curt Symes, from his seat up front, turned to the audience to add that he hoped for support from the seniors, who were a group offering a “wealth of talent.” He hoped for their participation, he said.

As part of background research, Mr Clure and others with the advisory committee had visited nearby facilities. He talked about the “the anticipated good response” to expanded programs, since other centers that had expanded had experienced an increase in use. He said his “eye is on increased use in the future.”

An activities pool, locker rooms, and a café “are things we’ve noticed that are working at other centers,” he said. A pool would be open for community use, and with a schedule including dedicated time for senior citizens.

Mrs Llodra again said that pool schedules and all planning were possibilities. She said that the proposed Phase I senior center was part of a larger plan to include a Phase II, which could be a connector between Phase I and NYA Sport & Fitness Center in Fairfield Hills. If the town in the future does not choose to purchase NYA, Mrs Llodra explained that Phase II would be an addition to Phase I and include community and administrative space. Architects are considering the various possibilities.

Quisenberry Arcari Architects LL Principal Rusty Malik spoke of the “intricate puzzle,” of spaces they are working to relate and connect. He spoke of parking areas, entrances, and how and where to locate the different features. Mr Malik also referred to the slideshow, revealing several configurations saying he has in mind the “big picture” of how the site could function.

Following his brief conversation, Mrs Llodra reiterated that the Phase I info sessions are simply presenting options.

“The time to get into detail and fine tune is after the referendum,” she said.

Additional Questions

Among questions raised were topics including transportation. Some seniors do not drive. Would increased transportation be available?

“We’re increasingly looking for van support,” Mrs Llodra said. Although transportation was not part of that day’s topics, it was a concern they would be looking at in the future.

Regarding a pool facility, attendees inquired about the schedule, and whether they would have to share the facility with school students. Noting the slideshow on display, Mrs Llodra pointed to a tentative swim schedule offering an example of what programming could look like. Several time slots were marked for just senior use.

“It’s speculative, until we see what the needs are,” she said.

Some attendees wanted to know why high school students would use a community center pool when the high school has its own pool.

“They’re part of the community,” Mrs Llodra said. She did not want to discount that, she said.

Is the GE funding a realistic number?

“It’s a challenge,” Mrs Llodra said. “It’s always a challenge,” she said, but expressed confidence that “We’ll figure it out.”

Some seniors were curious about the cost values between the different possible pool sizes under consideration.

“We’re not there yet,” Mrs Llodra said. “We have a lot to discuss about what’s best for the community. There is still a lot of discussion.”

Costs and fees will associated with membership for the future facility.

“I don’t know what those numbers are yet,” Mrs Llodra said. Seniors would need to pay a fee, “just like [the current senior center],” she said. The facility is not meant as a “revenue generator,” she said. “But, it needs to help pay for itself for the project to make sense.”

Fielding questions about the need for additional parking, and how the current senior center at 14 Riverside Road could be used of the seniors relocate to a new building in Fairfield Hills, Mrs Llodra concluded, “There is so much more ahead of us.” She mentioned the “many voices” that must be heard before any final decisions, and said she “didn’t want to get ahead” on a project that is “still conceptual.”

This story has been updated to include the location of the March 24 Phase I Info Session.