The long anticipated Kingston Senior Center is finally looking like it will become a reality sooner rather than later. The Senior Center Building Committee has cut back on some of the architectural aspects of the project in order to have the project come in at budget. The new price tag of the Center now stands at a firm $2.750 million, this after eliminating a planned completed second floor and no basement. The budget, put together by Caitlin Architecture, reflects an $18,000 reduction by Caitlin in order to move forward with the construction.

The Center’s location will remain at its original designated site on town owned land adjacent to the site of the Town Hall. The actual building location has been redesigned to make a slight turn in order to remain further away from wetlands. The Building Committee will file a notice of Intent (NOI) with the Conservation Commission for review and possible revisions. After such review by ConsCom it would be necessary to submit a final design based on Orders of Conditions issued by ConsCom.

At a recent Senior Center Committee meeting there was some concern over the fact that additional debris has been dumped on the site. Throughout the years the site has been a dumping place for highway debris, street sweepings and other construction waste by perhaps several town departments. Last year the site was pretty well cleared with all materials removed. To a much smaller extent, the current material will also be taken off-site. In addition, the Committee must be certain that plans allow for the turnaround for a fire truck. The Committee intends to meet with Fire Chief Bob Heath in order to address this requirement.

A parking plan for the site shows there will be an allowance for approximately 66 vehicles. It was also made clear that the construction cost does not include furnishings or decorative materials; such items would be required later in the construction. A funding source has not been determined for these additional expenses. Funding for the building’s construction would come from the combined financial resources of $45,000 from the recreation kitty at Arbor Hills, $1.2 million transferred over for this use via money left over from the Intermediate School construction, and a $1.2 million borrowing package.

The Senior Center Building Committee has worked tirelessly on this project for years and should be rewarded for their dedication and commitment over the years. We believe that seniors will see a new Center within their lifetime.