Community Center Referendum
IN THE CITY
by Kevin Sipe
Tuesday, Nov. 6 is Election Day and the City Council has placed on the ballot an advisory referendum regarding the community center project. Presque Isle voters will have a chance to express their feelings about the proposed center when they vote.
The vote, while not binding on the Council, will be used by them to set the course of action as the city looks to the future of recreation programming in the city. Your vote is important in this process.
Approximately six years ago the City Council asked the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board to plan for and design a new community center for the city. At the time the city was reluctant to spend money on the Haskell Center, the current community center. It was in need of many repairs and a request was made to fund the replacement of the roof. The Council decided that due to the age and condition of the building it would be a better use of precious tax dollars to plan for a replacement of the current building. Since that day various committees have been at work with architects, engineers, real estate agents, and interested parties in the community to carry out the wishes of the council. Approximately $500,000 has been spent thus far on engineering, architectural studies, and land acquisition. The land on Chapman Street was purchased along with surrounding buildings to add to the property already owned by the city to create a continuous block of land large enough to accommodate the new building. Since that day, six years ago, the membership on the Council has changed. Additional studies have been done and the current Council is seeking citizen input through the ballot box on the future direction of the city as it regards the community center project.
A “yes” vote on the referendum question will allow for the formation of a fund-raising committee that has been asked by the Council to raise half the money needed, approximately $3.75 million, to build the new center. Steve and Lucy Richard have generously volunteered their time and expertise to help accomplish this fund-raising goal.
A “yes” vote will keep the project moving forward as it has for the last six years with the ultimate goal being a new community center for all the citizens of the community. The new center as currently proposed will include a gym area, a walking track, a senior center, a teen center, and meeting and multi purpose rooms that will offer year-round health and physical activities for youth, adults and seniors. It will provide a place for our children to go that is safe, supervised, and active. Our seniors will have a place to call their own with kitchen facilities, and all will be able to utilize the walking track. As proposed the new center will be able to run multiple activities for all age groups at the same time. It truly will become the center of the community.
A “no” vote will require that the city address the deficiencies in the current building to bring it up to meet required health and safety codes. The current building, built in 1941, offers limited programming flexibility and is too small to meet the current program demands. Additionally, the building does not meet the requirements of the Americans with Disability Act, it is in need of a new roof, windows, insulation, and contains many applications of asbestos in tiles and walls. All this will come at a cost. Recent estimates suggest that the cost could reach nearly $900,000. When completed the building would still not meet the department’s needs going into the future and would still be an old building requiring expensive maintenance in years to come. Should we continue to spend money on a building that was originally built as a USO hall or should we look to the future and provide a long-term solution to the problem, and a long-term opportunity for our kids and their families?
Your vote on Nov. 6 will be vital to the Council as they look to set priorities for the future of the city. With $500,000 already invested in the project, it is now time to decide if the fund-raising committee will be allowed to go forward. Of course, if the Council decides to go ahead with the final building of the new community center it will require a financial commitment on the part of the city and its residents. Long-term solutions and whole community programming require long-term financial commitments.
The Council has asked that half of the $7 million project be raised through grants and private and corporate donors. This will require an equal match from tax revenues, which would be funded through long-term debt. Most of us have such long-term debt, perhaps in the form of a house or car loan. It is through such planning and debt management that we as individuals better ourselves and the condition of our families. The city, through similar borrowing looks to benefit all the city’s residents and provide long-term health and recreational benefits for years to come.
Information on the referendum is available from the city in brochure form and is on the city’s website. Please vote and let the Council know your wishes.
Kevin Sipe is chairperson of Presque Isle’s Recreation & Parks Advisory Board.
