Town of Sharon

Sacred Heart Reuse Committee

Meeting Minutes of 6/6/11

Amended and Approved on 6/20/11

Sharon Community Center

 

Committee Attendees

Karen Friedman, Chair  

Jim Michael - absent

Valeda Britton  

Ed Keenan

Larry Seggelin

John Davis

Carl Gladstone

David Straus - absent

Michael Ginsberg - absent

 

 

Other Attendees

Alice Cheyer

Jeffrey P. Russell Old Colony Y Brockton

 

Chair Report

Ms. Friedman called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM and thanked both Mr. Jeffrey Russell from the Old Colony YMCA in Brockton for attending the meeting.   

 

Discussion

Mr. Davis began the discussion by stating that he invited Jeffrey Russell, COO of Old Colony YMCA to the meeting to explore if a pool is a viable option for the Sacred Heart property. Because the “Y” showed interest previously, he said the Committee is wondering if they are still interested and if building a pool is a viable option without housing.

 

Mr. Russell said he attended three meetings with the Cornerstone concept. He said one half of the YMCA’s work is with Social Services. He said he sees the current conversation as an embryo of a discussion because a tremendous amount of time is needed to move forward. Funds need to be raised in the community along with grant writing. Mr. Russell said he has been with the “Y” for 32 years. They have 44 day care centers and the YMCA is a reflection of the community. They just bought the JCC in Stoughton and said 30 – 35 % of its members are from Sharon. Mr. Russell said he wants to hear the Committee’s vision. For the YMCA to come in, it’s important to know it’s a 501(c)(3) operation; not for profit organization. They currently have an 8 acre parcel under agreement in Plymouth and they are doing their due diligence to network with the community to see how funds can be raised. He said the building is a collaborative effort. Income is needed to be generated to build, pay the mortgage and operate. The YMCA is known for aquatics and is expensive. Alot of investigative work goes into see if the Town can support it. There maybe services in the Stoughton or Foxboro “Y” that could be brought to town.

 

Mr. Davis said the Committee is still interested in indoor recreation. There is skepticism regarding building the pool. We want to test to see if a pool is viable combined with some other medical space or facilities – we would like to explore. He said the first thing to do is determine if the “Y” is interested and could the community support it. He questioned if Sharon’s needs are satisfied by virtue of the existing Stoughton/Foxboro facilities.

Mr. Russell said he did a primary market analysis on capturing/expanding services. The survey showed that Sharon residents fit the profile but are not using the facility now.  Mr. Russell recommended that a 10,000 square foot facility would offset the pool. He asked if the town is looking to generate funds.

 

Mr. Davis said the town is looking for a minimum of $10,000 per year to be generated as per the first RFP. If a project meets the community needs for indoor recreational space surrounded by outdoor recreational facility/uses, a pool with an indoor facility would be great. He asked if the “Y” is interested in investigating to see if a “Y” facility is viable on the site.

 

Mr. Russell said we can lay out what needs to be done. We need to look at the community voids and gaps to determine what types of programs are needed. There is a tremendous amount of work needed and data driven instruments need to be collected.

 

Mr. Davis asked what this community can be doing. It sounds like the “Y” is taking a look at Sharon to see if it is a viable community. The RFP was designed to submit proposals for indoor recreational facilities. We wanted someone to look outside the box since the site cannot be used for residential purposes. If the “Y” does not work out, the committee will probably reissue a new RFP. There are 5.2 acres available.

 

Ms. Friedman asked if the “Y” comes in with seed money.

 

Mr. Russell said 60- 70% of the project price needs to be raised. The “Y” is good at raising funds but is not in a position to borrow money. We become part of the community. There would be a branch board in Sharon if a pool/facility were to be built.

 

Mr. Keenan asked why the YMCA purchased the JCC.

 

Mr. Russell said the JCC was losing money. A decision was made that the YMCA brand was more recognized. There are 4,000 memberships equating to 8,000 people now at that site. With reference to childcare, the Y has community based childcare sites. They serve 2,117 children on any given day, split between preschool and school-aged children. 35 square feet per child of active space is needed to determine the number of children that a site can hold. Childcare programs could be a good option for Sharon as he is sure the demographics could support it.

 

Mr. Gladstone said one reason everyone in town was pressing for a pool, is that there is an active swim program in town and a high school team. He asked if there would be the ability for the recreational programs to practice should a pool be built.

 

Mr. Russell said that would be a possibility and the Old Colony “Y” has a swim team. He said one 6 lane pool and one zero entry pool just opened in Taunton at a cost of 2.6 million dollars.

 

Mr. Davis asked if the “Y” looked at the feasibility of adding a fitness facility to the pool.

 

Mr. Russell said a feasibility study was not done. The “Y” is a community center that wants to be part of a town. It is about assisting parents, helping children, instilling character, and creating role models. There is definitely a possibility of obtaining grant money. The unique challenge in Sharon is to build from the ground up. The next steps are to determine how much data is available and costs. He said he will bring in the fundraising committee to take a look at the idea and will get back to the committee once preliminary research is completed.

 

Meeting Minutes

Mr. Davis moved to approve the meeting minutes of 5/23/11. Mr. Keenan seconded the motion and the Committee voted 6-0-0 in favor.

 

Next Meeting

6/20/11

 

Adjournment

Mr. Davis moved to adjourn the meeting and Mr. Gladstone seconded the motion. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM.