The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received June 9, 2023.
The June 8, 2023 meeting at the old Haddam Elementary School building drew well over 250 people. Dozens of people offered a myriad of ideas about what should happen to the building.
Young families were well represented. One young mother holding the microphone in one hand and a sleeping child in the other arm was representative of the view that the HES property needs to be used to provide activities for children for such things as a playscape, a splash pad, indoor sports courts, a skate board park and the list went on.
Elderly citizens spoke of the need for affordable senior housing. There is a proposal from a developer to create 33 apartments for seniors which depends on getting a state grant for $4.5 million, and approval from town boards and commissions.
Many in the audience had attended school or taught at HES. There was discussion of the sentimental as well as the historic value of HES and overwhelming support for not destroying the building. Tears were shed by one speaker in support of saving the building.
The cost of repairing the roof was estimated at just over $1 million, whereas the cost to tear down the building was approximately the same. The on-going cost of maintenance for the building was given as about $200,000 per year.
Others spoke of how convenient it would be to have all town offices and services moved into HES and to sell the existing Town Office Building, the Town Annex building on Jail Hill Road and the existing Senior Center.
It was pointed out that before any of these ideas can be discussed in a rational way there would need to be estimates of their cost. The idea of hiring a consultant to make a proposal for how the building could best be used to benefit the town was suggested.
Town officials face the enormous challenge of synthesizing the input from this meeting into a proposal which can be focused and be presented to the town for debate, discussion and a vote, but the desire to move forward was obvious.
Edward Munster, Haddam
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