Town clears feasibility funding for Westborough Country Club building; trustees to study reuse options

Westborough voters authorized a combined $100,000 transfer—$68,000 from free cash and $32,000 from country‑club retained earnings—to fund a feasibility study for the municipal Country Club building. The Municipal Building Committee will hire an architect to evaluate alternatives, including rehabilitation, replacement and options for food service and pro‑shop operations.

The committee said a 2022 condition assessment identified immediate and medium‑term needs tallying roughly $904,000 for short‑term repairs, with larger costs likely for comprehensive rehabilitation. A reuse committee recommended demolition and replacement to accommodate a pro‑shop and restaurant with outdoor seating, but municipal members and residents urged full feasibility work that includes preservation alternatives and public‑private partnership scenarios.

Select Board and municipal staff said the feasibility study will develop program options, analyze site‑plan and permitting constraints, and test financial models that could include enterprise‑fund support or private partners; the study will not itself commit the town to construction. Town meeting approved the transfer after discussion and a failed motion to send the article back to committee. The municipal building committee expects to solicit proposals once the funds are available.