Senior center’s site is not right

TO THE EDITOR:

it is very apparent that members of the Senior Center Committee, abutters, many town taxpayers, myself and the group known as SAVE GRIFFIN'S FARM, all have one thing in common.

And that is that the property located on Gliniewicz Way is the best location to construct a senior center.

In my opinion, the Abington Board of Selectmen chose the wrong site. The board chose Pattison Street to politically appease a group of seniors, who, when massed, can change the political events in the town. Why else would comments like selectmen Tom Corbett’s comment — "they are not getting any younger" — be made prior to a vote on the selected site. One only has to evaluate the precinct-by-precinct vote to determine that the seniors got the vote out to get a $1.8 Million dollar override passed to build a senior center.

In passing this override and selecting Pattison Street as the site to build upon, can you really say this was all done in the best interest of the Town of Abington?

I agree the town needs a senior center, but I question if this is the correct time to push the construction of one.

It seems the only ones that do not agree constructing a senior center on the Gliniewicz Way location is the best thing is the board of selectmen and the Abington Housing Authority.

The housing authority has plans. To build what on the small acreage available that is suitable in size for the Senior Center needs? More senior housing?

From the override vote, it is obvious to me that the seniors have set their priorities on a senior center, and selecting the best location for that center should be the first and foremost thing on everyone's mind, including selectmen and the housing authority.

I completely disagree with selectmen that Pattison Street is the best location to build a senior center and I will aggressively pursue every avenue to bring to light that selecting this site was a wrong decision.

I will not repeat the numerous reasons the Gliniewicz Way property is better than the Pattison Street location, but I will repeat the statement I made before the board. "When it is found that there is more wetlands on Griffin's Dairy (particularly the Pattison Street location) than was indicated on the town's Plan of Record, then what?"

Remember. I asked the Middle School Site Selection Committee for a copy of the botanical report that was used to delineate the wetlands on Griffin's Dairy. I was told there is no botanical report and that it was not required by the conservation commission. Now, unless I was deceived and this report exists, the Town of Abington has no supporting evidence to back the wetlands delineation that appears on the Plan of Record. If this went to court or even an appeal, the only evidence you have is that plan approved by the Abington Conservation Commission.

On the other hand the group known as SAVE GRIFFIN'S FARM has hired a professional wetlands scientist to review Griffin's Dairy. The group has documentation that the resources and the bordering vegetated wetlands presented on the Town of Abington's Plan of Record is under stated. But wait. There is more. I also mentioned at the selectmen's meeting that the Town of Abington failed to recognize an area that is listed on the National Wetlands Inventory list.  That same area will be included in the area designated for the senior center. 

When it is found there is more wetlands on Griffin's Dairy — particularly the Pattison Street location —than was indicated on the Town's Plan of Record, then what?

The Town of Abington needs to do the right thing.

Listen to the people who voted to purchase 64 acres of land as open space.

Take the Gliniewicz Way property and build a senior center on it.

Or, if the North School is to be closed, give it consideration for a senior center.

Get the School Department to relinquish control of the land on Brockton Avenue and High Street and give control of that land to the Housing Authority for Senior Housing.

Support the School Department to develop existing school areas for expansion.

Does that sound like that is in the BEST interest for the Town?