Community Center concepts in development stage

Newstead Town Board members voted Monday night to hire Wendel to provide Immersion and Concept Design Services for a potential project to construct a community center in the Town of Newstead for the cost of $51,500 plus $500 for reimbursable expenses billed on a time and expense basis.

The Town is moving forward to obtain more community input in the project they are considering for the construction of a Community Center that would include a Senior Center, Recreation facilities, and offer programs for all ages.

“We have outgrown our current Senior Center, which currently serves 881 members and has a lese with the fire company ending in 2032, making it necessary to look at new options for our seniors,” Newstead Supervisor Dawn Izydorczak said.  Izydorczak noted that the recreation program currently serves over 350 members and has begun to offer mor diverse cultural programs to residents.

“The town believes it makes more sense to build a new facility that would include programs for all ages in our community, thereby constructing not just a Senior Center but a Community Center,” a fact sheet prepared by the Town notes.

Town Board members hope to construct the Center on property currently owned by the town with three preferred locations under consideration, At the Buell Street Park property south of Veterans Park; at the town owned Skyline Park property, and at the Town Hall property on Clarence Center Rd.

Wendel will be in the community on March 12, 13, and 14 to meet with Stakeholder groups to hear their ideas regarding what is needed in the facility.  Those groups include the Senior Center Staff and Board, Recreation staff, Emergency Management Coordinators, representatives for area civic groups such as the Lions, and Rotary.  They will also review the potential sites.  Once fact finding is complete they will develop preliminary plans and costs estimates.  The Town currently plans to complete the project with a budget not to exceed seven million dollars and is working with other community entities to maximize potential for grant and donor funding to help minimize the impact on taxpayers.

Comments from a public hearing Monday night will also be included in the conversation. Those attending the hearing asked several questions which follow with the information Izydorczak shared in response:

How will the space allow programming for Seniors and other groups? It will be designed for multiple uses throughout the day, and the town plans to expand programs offered.

Will the existing Cultural Center in the lower level of the library remain? Yes, but finding that it is being used more and more by the library.

How will this affect youth sports?  Will not impact current sports fields.  Development of plans will take parking, fireworks, sports, etc. into consideration.

What is the tax impact?  There are currently costs associated with the Senior Center at the Newstead Fire Hall which will then be part of the new Center, efforts are underway to pull as much grant and donor funding as possible to keep taxpayer share as small as possible.  Exact impact is unknown until plans, costs projections, and grants obtained are known.

Those speaking also offered suggestions in what they would like considered in the planning process:  More room for Senior Citizen programing; a place for a file cabinet or small office for Akron Youth Sports organizations; a kitchen, provisions to make it a safe place for the community to be; usable as a shelter during emergencies; adequate sidewalks to connect it to residential areas; programing to help people fill out forms, find needed programming; more visible; include a smart room; expandable; developed jointly with the Village of Akron.

Board members learned that the Akron-Newstead Senior Citizen organization has saved over $100,000 to help furnish a new center.

Community members are encouraged to email suggestions and questions to Supervisor Izydorczak: dawn@townofnewstead.com or call 716-542-4573, option 5, or stop by the Town Hall.   Once the preliminary design work is completed there will be another public hearing.

Action items

Town Board members approved professional engineering services associated with a repair to the Niagara Label Forcemain at a cost of $7,700 for Design Services and $2,100 for Services during the construction for a total cost of $9,800.

An intermunicipalities agreement with the Village of Akron which provides a procedure to share a Street Sweeper was approved.  The Town and Village plan to jointly purchase a street sweeper from the Town of Clarence for $25,000 which will be used as needed by both municipalities.

The Town Board authorized purchase of a 300kVA transformer from T&R Electric and payment of the fee to ensure the earliest production date at a total cost of $15,827.90.  The Town Engineer previously determined that the transformer at the Town Hall needs to be replaced urgently based on an Infrared Thermographic Inspection Report, and a previously purchased transformer did not meet the Town’s needs.

A public hearing was set for a special use permit to re-open a dog kennel at 12390 Hunts Corner Rd. int eh RA zoning district of the Town of Newstead.

The Planning Board reviewed the project, and in a divided six to one vote, recommended the dog kennel re-opening to the Town Board wit the following conditions to be attached to the special use permit: Any necessary Health Department and Department of Agriculture regulations are met; Satisfactory inspections by the Dog Control Officer and Code Enforcement Officer are posted; Cameras are installed and fully operable with a battery backup; Installation of a grey water septic system where necessary; Times of operation which cause the least disturbance to neighbors are established and posted; fencing repaired and additional privacy fence installed between the adjacent property to the west and the kennel; Efforts to sanitize the facility are environmentally friendly.

An increase of hours for Anthony Abraham to add van driver duties for Senior Center effective March 1; a Beer/wine permit for Veterans Park July 21; a 30-day waiver request for Liquor License – 11986 Main Rd., were all approved.

Community Center concepts in development stage

Newstead Town Board members voted Monday night to hire Wendel to provide Immersion and Concept Design Services for a potential project to construct a community center in the Town of Newstead for the cost of $51,500 plus $500 for reimbursable expenses billed on a time and expense basis.

The Town is moving forward to obtain more community input in the project they are considering for the construction of a Community Center that would include a Senior Center, Recreation facilities, and offer programs for all ages.

“We have outgrown our current Senior Center, which currently serves 881 members and has a lese with the fire company ending in 2032, making it necessary to look at new options for our seniors,” Newstead Supervisor Dawn Izydorczak said.  Izydorczak noted that the recreation program currently serves over 350 members and has begun to offer mor diverse cultural programs to residents.

“The town believes it makes more sense to build a new facility that would include programs for all ages in our community, thereby constructing not just a Senior Center but a Community Center,” a fact sheet prepared by the Town notes.

Town Board members hope to construct the Center on property currently owned by the town with three preferred locations under consideration, At the Buell Street Park property south of Veterans Park; at the town owned Skyline Park property, and at the Town Hall property on Clarence Center Rd.

Wendel will be in the community on March 12, 13, and 14 to meet with Stakeholder groups to hear their ideas regarding what is needed in the facility.  Those groups include the Senior Center Staff and Board, Recreation staff, Emergency Management Coordinators, representatives for area civic groups such as the Lions, and Rotary.  They will also review the potential sites.  Once fact finding is complete they will develop preliminary plans and costs estimates.  The Town currently plans to complete the project with a budget not to exceed seven million dollars and is working with other community entities to maximize potential for grant and donor funding to help minimize the impact on taxpayers.

Comments from a public hearing Monday night will also be included in the conversation. Those attending the hearing asked several questions which follow with the information Izydorczak shared in response:

How will the space allow programming for Seniors and other groups? It will be designed for multiple uses throughout the day, and the town plans to expand programs offered.

Will the existing Cultural Center in the lower level of the library remain? Yes, but finding that it is being used more and more by the library.

How will this affect youth sports?  Will not impact current sports fields.  Development of plans will take parking, fireworks, sports, etc. into consideration.

What is the tax impact?  There are currently costs associated with the Senior Center at the Newstead Fire Hall which will then be part of the new Center, efforts are underway to pull as much grant and donor funding as possible to keep taxpayer share as small as possible.  Exact impact is unknown until plans, costs projections, and grants obtained are known.

Those speaking also offered suggestions in what they would like considered in the planning process:  More room for Senior Citizen programing; a place for a file cabinet or small office for Akron Youth Sports organizations; a kitchen, provisions to make it a safe place for the community to be; usable as a shelter during emergencies; adequate sidewalks to connect it to residential areas; programing to help people fill out forms, find needed programming; more visible; include a smart room; expandable; developed jointly with the Village of Akron.

Board members learned that the Akron-Newstead Senior Citizen organization has saved over $100,000 to help furnish a new center.

Community members are encouraged to email suggestions and questions to Supervisor Izydorczak: dawn@townofnewstead.com or call 716-542-4573, option 5, or stop by the Town Hall.   Once the preliminary design work is completed there will be another public hearing.

Action items

Town Board members approved professional engineering services associated with a repair to the Niagara Label Forcemain at a cost of $7,700 for Design Services and $2,100 for Services during the construction for a total cost of $9,800.

An intermunicipalities agreement with the Village of Akron which provides a procedure to share a Street Sweeper was approved.  The Town and Village plan to jointly purchase a street sweeper from the Town of Clarence for $25,000 which will be used as needed by both municipalities.

The Town Board authorized purchase of a 300kVA transformer from T&R Electric and payment of the fee to ensure the earliest production date at a total cost of $15,827.90.  The Town Engineer previously determined that the transformer at the Town Hall needs to be replaced urgently based on an Infrared Thermographic Inspection Report, and a previously purchased transformer did not meet the Town’s needs.

A public hearing was set for a special use permit to re-open a dog kennel at 12390 Hunts Corner Rd. int eh RA zoning district of the Town of Newstead.

The Planning Board reviewed the project, and in a divided six to one vote, recommended the dog kennel re-opening to the Town Board wit the following conditions to be attached to the special use permit: Any necessary Health Department and Department of Agriculture regulations are met; Satisfactory inspections by the Dog Control Officer and Code Enforcement Officer are posted; Cameras are installed and fully operable with a battery backup; Installation of a grey water septic system where necessary; Times of operation which cause the least disturbance to neighbors are established and posted; fencing repaired and additional privacy fence installed between the adjacent property to the west and the kennel; Efforts to sanitize the facility are environmentally friendly.

An increase of hours for Anthony Abraham to add van driver duties for Senior Center effective March 1; a Beer/wine permit for Veterans Park July 21; a 30-day waiver request for Liquor License – 11986 Main Rd., were all approved.

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