Discussion continues on senior center site

Originally the Abington Council on Aging had planned to build the town’s first ever senior center on town-owned land on Pattison Street, commonly known as Griffin’s Dairy, but recently the town’s seniors have been considering purchasing the property of the Flame of Fire Church at 441 Summer St.

Were the senior center to be built on the Griffin’s Dairy property, a brand new facility would have to be constructed, while the church property would require only minor renovations to be done.

On Wednesday afternoon (July 11), the COA hosted an open house at the church, and encouraged seniors, residents and their families to take a tour of the property.

Abington senior Connie Rhodes said she supports moving forward with the Flame of Fire church option.

“I would like to see them fill it up so all us old ladies who might never see a senior center might get to see one,” Rhodes said. “I’m all for it, I feel very good about it. I’m very interested in seeing as much as I can.”

Rhodes said residents have spoken out against the use of the Griffin’s Dairy property as a senior center.

“We will never get Griffins Dairy,” she said. “They don’t want the senior center there and they’ll fight it because a school can go in there, and a school needs to be built. I almost can’t blame them.”

Although the church may prove a more expensive proposition, Rhodes said it may be more cost effective than waiting.

According to selectman Thomas Corbett, the board of selectmen has not officially announced a preference between the two proposed senior center locations, but will be discussing both at Monday night’s meeting (July 16).

“It will be on the agenda,” Corbett said. “We explore all avenues before making a decision. Hopefully it will yield good results for us and the seniors.”

Corbett said he is taking personal interest in the possibility of purchasing the Flame of Fire church.

“I plan on stopping by the church, maybe take a couple pictures and do research,” he said. “But we will discuss and debate the topic at the meeting.”

The church went up for sale this past spring when the congregation decided to downsize.

The church property is the larger of the two proposed locations, featuring 11 acres of space compared to Griffin’s Dairy’s two acres. Therefore, the Summer Street property could prove a more expensive option.   However, moving forward on the Griffin’s Dairy property may require additional funding for legal fees, as a number of residents have stated a desire to keep that property as open space.

The church building measures 1,300 square feet, stands two stories high, and is very simply designed.

    It’s located next to a train line.

Depending on where the center is eventually built, construction or renovations would begin after the conclusion of Town Meeting in the fall. Funding for the new senior center would come from a $1.8 million debt exclusion override of Prop. 2-1/2, which was approved by voters at Town Meeting last December. To use the $1.8 million for the Flame of Fire church property, residents would have to vote to adjust the use of the allocation to purchase and outfit the existing building, rather than to construct a new one.

 

 

George Whiting, Chairman of the council on aging, is pushing for quick action on behalf of the town.

“From my standpoint the longer we are from Town Meeting that was so gracious for giving the $1.8 million, the dimmer our chances of building what it is we want to build on Pattison Street,” he said. “We may not be able to do what we want to do with the funding that was granted to us.”

Whiting said he wasn’t speaking on behalf of the COA, but from a personal viewpoint, he said he’s leaning towards the Flame of Fire church option.

“The more I think about it the more desirable I think it is,” Whiting said. “It’s very difficult to abandon Pattison Street, but I think the opportunities of Pattison Street have dwindled down so it’s just not practical any more. Now I don’t think it’s feasible at all, but that's a very personal opinion. My vote is to go towards the purchase of the church.”

 

Connie Rhodes often takes part in the luncheons the COA holds at the St. Vincent De Paul School. She also participates in Barbara Reeves’ dance classes. She said she would be an active participant in senior activities once the new senior center is built.

“I’ll be 81 this year and I’m still very, very busy,” she said.   I have been so active. When you talk about waiting another five years for a senior center, can you imagine what it would cost then? We can’t afford to do that anyway, not with what we’ve got.”

Rhodes said she’s donated $120 annually to funding for the new senior center.

Abington senior Barbara Reeves had a similar opinion, describing the purchase of the church property as “ideal.”

 “The building itself is all set up,” said Reeves. “Whatever they do, we need [a senior center] badly in the town, but I’m hoping that that’s where they go, with the church. I think that would be an ideal senior center.”

“There’s a dining room that seats about 150 people, and the church section would hold almost 300 people,” she added. “There are adequate meeting rooms. The size of it is ideal. It’s 2-1/2 times the size they were anticipating. It has lots of parking, there’s additional land that goes with it, so if you need to do something in the future you can anticipate growth. It would be off the road for seniors to get to, we’re very much for it.”

Reeves is heavily involved in senior activities in town, and said she believes the additional space at the Flame of Fire church would be useful for those activities.

“We go on Thursdays for the senior lunch at the Baptist church, I go to eat,” Reeves said. “We’re dependent on the churches and the organizations letting us use their houses for our senior activities.”

Reeves is also a line dancing instructor for Abington senior citizens.

“We use the St. Bridget’s church for our line dancing activities, but if we had our own senior center there’s so much we could do,” she said.

Reeves’ husband John, was formerly on a site selection committee for the senior center, but is no longer involved with that. Barbara said this is how she became familiar with the Flame of Fire church.