Hingham Debates New Senior Center Design as Residents Voice Environmental and Tax Concerns
Town officials present preliminary plans for 26,000-square-foot Center for Active Living at Bare Cove Park, sparking discussion over costs and conservation land use.
HINGHAM - July 22 - The Hingham Select Board and Building Committee presented preliminary designs for a new Center for Active Living at Bare Cove Park during a joint meeting July 22, revealing a reduced 26,000-square-foot facility that has drawn both support and opposition from residents.
The proposed building represents a 10 percent reduction from the original 28,700-square-foot design presented earlier this year. Architect Chris Wante of EDM Studio said the design team eliminated spaces including a maker room, office assistant office, copy room, kitchen assistant office, staff restroom and outdoor storage while reducing the size of other areas like the auditorium and classrooms.
"We were asked recently to take a look at potential reduction options and what would it look like," Wante said. "Without wholesale removing spaces, you know, big programmatic spaces, what would it look like to try to find some efficiencies in the program and in the floor plan?"
The building would be constructed over the footprint of an existing contaminated naval munitions building at Bare Cove Park Drive. The site plan includes approximately 160 parking spaces and incorporates green corridors connecting the park entrance to the building's front door.
Several residents expressed concerns about the environmental impact of building on conservation land. Anita Ryan of Baker Hill Drive argued the project would damage an area designated as both a wildlife sanctuary and area of critical environmental concern.
"Bare Cove Park, it's a treasure for our community," Ryan said. "It's a carbon absorption superpower, and it provides a home for wildlife. There is no other conservation land in Hingham that is a beloved park that has been deeded for open space enjoyment for the public, that is a wildlife sanctuary, that is an area of critical environmental concern, all three."
Town Special Real Estate Counsel Susan Murphy disputed several environmental claims, clarifying that the project site is not conservation land and explaining the town's relationship with the National Park Service, which oversees the federal lands-to-parks property.
"This location is not conservation land," Murphy said. "The project as designed by the project team is not within any Hingham Conservation Commission's jurisdiction. It's not even in a buffer zone to a wetland or a vernal pool."
Murphy said the National Park Service issued a categorical exclusion for the project after reviewing environmental impacts, stating there would not be significant environmental effects.
Multiple residents raised concerns about the project's cost and impact on property taxes. Mary Power of King Philip Path, who supports the project, warned about the political challenges of securing approval given recent tax increases.
"Our property taxes have gone up by over 20 percent in the last couple years with important projects that we all authorized," Power said. "In the next few years, we still have to pay for some of those projects. So if we do nothing else, our taxes are going to go up by about another 13 percent in the next four years."
Glenn Mangurian of Huckleberry Hill provided cost analysis, noting that Town Administrator Tom Mayo's general rule estimates $100 in property tax increases for every $10 million borrowed. Mangurian calculated that a 10 percent building reduction would save the average taxpayer only $19 annually.
"The question is, how much do you want to reduce it given that the nugget is $350?" Mangurian said, referring to the estimated annual tax impact for the average homeowner.
Supporters emphasized the urgent need for improved senior facilities. Dick Ponte, a 90-year-old resident and senior center volunteer, criticized the current 5,000-square-foot facility.
"I was at Mahjong today, and we had 21 people jammed into the living room to play Mahjong. It's a disgrace," Ponte said. "When people ask me what my senior center is like, I say, come and visit us, and you'd be amazed. And they are amazed that a town like ours does not have a decent place for our seniors."
A Building Committee representative noted that senior centers serve as "a social determinant of health" and referenced the Surgeon General's advisory that isolation's health effects equal smoking 15 cigarettes daily.
Council on Aging Chair Joe Nevins acknowledged cost concerns while emphasizing the community effort needed for approval.
"As members of the Council on Aging, we are keenly aware of costs," Nevins said. "We realize, as Council on Aging members, that we have a large job to do over the next year. And that job is to convince the town that this is the right facility, and it is worth spending the money for our community members."
The facility would include an 80-person auditorium, exercise studio, multiple activity rooms, kitchen facilities, and a new reading room with fireplace. Building Committee member Steven Young emphasized the expertise behind the programming decisions, noting consultant Doug Gallo's national experience with senior center design.
The building would serve primarily residents 60 and older, though younger adults could participate in programs if space allows. The facility aims to provide both structured programming and informal gathering spaces.
Select Board Chair Bill Ramsey said the town will provide an online tax calculator once project costs are finalized in early fall. Additional public meetings are planned, including a joint session with the Advisory Committee.
The project requires approval at town meeting and a subsequent ballot vote. Town Administrator Mayo noted that space freed up by relocating the senior center would accommodate other municipal needs, including potentially moving the regional 911 center to the former police station space.
Other agenda items from the meeting included the hiring of three new police officers: Daniel Martini, Dylan Diersch, Jenna Hurlburt, all of whom received conditional offers of employment pending medical and psychological screening.