Canterbury, NH Building Needs Committee - 2001




CANTERBURY TOWN BUILDING NEEDS COMMITTEE
Minutes of Meeting
– October 3, 2001 –
(as reported by Secretary Jeremy Slayton)

 

TIME & PLACE:

Meeting October 3, 2001 at 7:00 PM at Canterbury Town Hall

ATTENDANCE:

Jeremy Slayton
Kent Ruesswick
Jim Bassett – Selectman Representative
Wayne Mann
Bob Fife
Beth Blair
Ken Jordan
Ted West
Mike Capone – Selectman Representative


Meeting at 7PM at Town Hall


Kent opened meeting and asked members to share their impressions on how the open meeting went.

Bob Fife thought we did well even though the community members expected more of us than we were prepared to offer them (in terms of details).

Ken Jordan felt that the meeting was a success in terms of the number of people that attended, and in the questions that were asked… even if some questions were asked in the framework of an agenda. The overall impression that we gave the community was that we ARE doing something and that we are beginning to ask important questions and do the work to come up with some of the answers.

Ken J. feels that we should concede that the library should be allowed to go forward according to the current plan. To try and do something else at this point would only hold it up further. Instead we should focus on the other building and think about how we can accomplish some of our same goals, but without having the library in the maintenance

Jeremy said.. [recorded by Beth Blair]

Beth recollected Jeff Leidenger’s comment about the the Highway Dept. building not be good enough for other uses, but it was being said to be good enough for a library… and that shouldn’t be the message that the committee gives the community. Noted that there was some support for the idea of moving the Fire Dept up to hackleboro Road to open the center up for other as yet undetermined possibilities… perhaps recreational, perhaps economic (well planned though!)

Mike Capone felt the attendance was good and that the exchange was good as well despite the strong contingent that were vocal for the library. He was intrigued by Kevin Bragg’s idea of clearing the Fire Dept and Maintenance out of center and selling or redeveloping that area for artisan’s shops, etc. Thinking differently would allow for another vision where the library is up by the fire pond, the highway dept is up by the dump, and the Fire Dept is up in the cornfield across from. Reraised the question of whether we should propose one plan, or a series of ideas.

Ted West commented that part of our goal is not to avoid expenditures, but rather to avoid a huge spike all at once.

Kent was happy with so many people attending, but was disappointed, but not surprised with the reaction that many had with the idea about locating at the library. Kent mentioned his conversation with Jeff Leidenger where Jeff asked Kent if the committee could get behind the current project IF the library contributed $200,000.

This idea appealed to Kent (and other members) because it allows us to designate $500,000 for the town’s contribution to the Library. This allows us to afford to do some of the other things the town needs, with the savings from the Library committee’s contribution (ie. Town garage, capping, etc.)
Jim Bassett (though not in attendance at the meeting) agreed with other committee members about the plans for the library… that it would be preferred to have it in the center, but that for political and other practical reasons it would be best to allow it to continue on it’s current course at the current location. Jim felt strongly that Town offices should not appear too modular… that they should be inviting, attractive and in keeping with the spirit of the town center.

Ken says we should establish the concrete issues that the committee stands for:
1. That we support the library go forward.
2. That the committee feels strongly about moving the public works garage out of the center.
3. That part of the committee’s goals is to create a more pedestrian center.

Wayne asked what percentage of the people in support of the library last year (based on the Elkins plan) would prefer the town garage location?

Ken J. suggests that we go home with our current ideas and prepare for next week’s meeting where we begin to flesh out our plan.

Kent suggested that we continue discussions of purposes/aternatives for the town garage, and to finally "put to bed" discussions of the new locations for the town garage and library.

MEETING ENDED 8:30 PM

NEXT MEETING:


The next meeting will be in one week, on 10/10/01 at 7 PM at Canterbury Town Hall.


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