Gardner board discusses Waterford Street senior center move, flags budget and building repairs

Unidentified Speaker 2 (role not specified) told the board they're "pretty close to being ready" to move programs into the Waterford Street school but warned that several outstanding construction items and operational risks remain. He said bathroom work is largely complete but doors and other fixtures are on backorder, and the project timeline is now tentative, likely spring to early summer.

"They do an awesome job on our lot. They really do," Speaker 2 said of the contractor New Drain Solutions and the city's Department of Public Works after recent storm response, adding that the site has little remaining snow-storage capacity and may need trucking if another storm hits. He also reported an ice dam on the roof and corrosion in a main steam line; two circulating pumps are leaking and one has been shut off, prompting temporary heat supplements while repairs are arranged.

The director told members the board should expect to ask the city council for supplemental appropriations for repairs and maintenance. "We're expecting ... about $5,000 is what we're budgeting," Speaker 2 said when discussing near-term repair projections, and added the final bill could be larger once contractors complete their assessments.

Board members asked detailed questions about interior layout and operations. Speaker 2 described plans for themed rooms (craft, game, pool), accent-color paint schemes and multi-room scheduling to allow simultaneous programs. He flagged logistical challenges for monitoring dispersed activity across the former school's cafeteria, gym and classrooms and said staff will develop procedures after move-in.

On access and parking, Speaker 2 said the city engineer has proposed moving the curb cut on Waterford Street and adding roughly 10'12 parking spaces by adjusting nearby green space; directional and courtyard signage are also planned for the Charles Mateen Wayne Gardner Senior Center. He cautioned that existing uses of the front common (notably the farmers market) complicate converting green space into parking.

Speaker 2 also said solar panels have been discussed but that structural capacity and roof condition must be evaluated before committing; he described the building as substantial for its age and said engineers told him a relatively small amount of renovation would likely extend the structure's life by decades.

Next steps identified by the board: continue finishing outstanding construction items, complete a facilities assessment for electrical/heating systems, finalize parking/signage plans with the city engineer, and prepare any supplemental budget requests to the city council. The board did not take a formal vote on the Waterford Street plans during this meeting.