Family center closed by Selectboard

BELCHERTOWN – Following “a very difficult discussion,” the Selectboard voted to close the building housing the Belchertown Family Center on 51 State St. on Monday night.

Town Administrator Steve Williams began the discussion stating that he has been and continues to be a supporter the Family Center, but that the building is not safe.

“Six months ago, in my role at the DPW, we spend a considerable amount of time trying to address the roof leaks,” he said. “We prepared a lengthy capital improvement plan for that building.”

These improvements included the roofing, windows, siding and a furnace.

He said they did everything to stop the roof leaks, but earlier in July, a leak was discovered, and it is unknown where it’s coming from.

“We’ve exhausted all our efforts to repair that. It’s time to replace the roofing,” he said.

Later, the Belchertown Family Center Committee contacted Williams to tell him that the ceiling was wet.

He said he recommended closure to make the repairs, should the board opt to explore the option.

During discussion of continuing the programming provided by the center, members of the committee stating there is one weekly program that is meeting.

Selectboard member Jen Turner said she hoped the board would consider funding the roof project.

“This building is in the middle of (Route) 202 on the main drag,” she said. “If we close it and let it decay it’s just going to be another decay and hazard…We need to address it and we need to fix it.”

Selectboard Chair Ed Boscher said the matter of funding the roof replacement was not on the agenda and therefore couldn’t be discussed.

“This is a larger issue, unfortunately we can’t tackle it tonight,” he said.

In March, Belchertown Family Center Committee Co-Chairs Courtney Pucel and Natasha Martin came before the board to discuss budget requests.

“The building itself if in disrepair. It’s quite literally falling us,” Pucel said at the meeting in March. “It needs a new roof, a new boiler, which is original to the building.”

Pucel cited multiple examples of issues in the building, including the roof leaking when it rains or snows, mice as well as others.

“We know this is going to take a lot of money to repair the building,” she said. “What we are looking for right now is to just preserve where we are and maintain.”

She said the volunteers work to keep the building clean, as it does not have a custodian.

The committee also asked for funding to improve seating in the building.

Following a medical incident with the previous director, the building closed, which prompted the town to look at it, former Town Administrator Gary Brougham said.

“The building was never built according to standard building methods. It has low ceilings, small plumbing fixtures – it was designed to be a daycare center,” he said. “The roof has been a perpetual problem; it’s been patched and patched and patched.”

At the time, Williams said a $100,000 allocation was proposed in the capital budget to replace the building membrane and believed the conversation about the building needed to happen soon.