Committee discusses golf club feasibility study, library relocation and community center timing

The Municipal Building Committee used its March 27 meeting to review next steps for a $100,000 feasibility study approved at town meeting to evaluate the future of the town golf club facility.

Committee members asked staff (Christie/Schaub) to draft an RFQ for the feasibility work and agreed to review the solicitation before posting. Several members said the study should present multiple options — repair and reuse, renovation, or demolition and new construction — so town meeting can weigh comparative costs.

"I just think that we need to have we cover all our bases. These are our options and, you know, explain to everybody, you know, this is why we're asking for this amount of money," Speaker 1 said, urging a comprehensive feasibility scope.

Members debated the select board’s stated preference; Speaker 5 said he understood the select board’s premise is a tear‑down, while others said the RFQ should still require the architect to evaluate rehabilitation scenarios. The committee agreed to invite the conservation director, Jennifer Miller, to the next meeting to clarify property‑sale constraints discovered in prior research and explain potential federal/state repayment obligations if the town sold the property.

Separately, the committee discussed whether the town library could temporarily occupy space in a new community center or other town buildings while renovations proceed. Staff cautioned that library relocation would be expensive and could delay the senior center retrofit; members suggested touring candidate spaces and considering temporary storage for collections.

The committee set its next meeting for April 10 at 8:00 a.m. to review RFQ drafts, OPM interview materials and schedule public engagement such as an open house for the golf club site. No formal votes on the feasibility scope or library relocation were taken at this meeting.