Phased Construction Given as a Possible Path for Simsbury Senior Center Improvements

As officials move forward to improve or rebuild the town’s senior center, one possibility would be phased construction.

The possibility was one Town Engineer and Director of Capital Projects Richard L. Sawitzke briefly mentioned to selectmen this week.

“Phased construction to improve senior programs and services is one possibility,” he said.

Sawitzke addressed selectmen as a follow-up to a June 10 forum about the future of the town’s Senior Center, for which a November of 2012 report by Quisenberry Arcari Architects laid out the options of expanding the Senior Center at Eno Hall, building a new structure at the corner of Bushy Hill and Stratton Roads or adding space at the Performing Arts Center property on Iron Horse Boulevard.

Monday night Sawitzke reviewed a document in which he answered questions from the forum 

He also mentioned the idea of phasing in some changes such as:

• Relocating Simsbury Community Television and renovating that space at Eno for a new kitchen and dining room

• Building a new entryway with a small addition for a fitness area and bathrooms

• Reconfiguring space for health screening and offices  

• Constructing a multi-purpose room at the performing Arts Center

• Building a retaining wall to add 17 parking spaces (Sawitzke also raised the idea of a shuttle serves to and from lots on Iron Horse boulevard)

One caution with such a phasing plan would be to ensure that the changes such as a new entry and drop off area are in synch with Eno Memorial Hall’s history significance and would satisfy the state historic preservation office and town’s Design Review Board, Sawitzke said. 

“We’d have to be very respectful of the historic integrity at Eno,” he said.

Sawitzke also addressed some of the questions and concerns raised by residents in June.

One was environmental concerns at the PAC and Bushy Hill/Stratton Brook Road sites.

The latter is the far eastern area of an aquifer but surface drainag would flow away from the site, he said.

“While we know that an environmentally sound site plan can be prepared, there will be additional costs associated with surface runoff facilities and environmental impact statements that residents may wish to have prepared,” he wrote.

“There would be a number of questions, I feel, on the site,” Sawitzke told selectmen.  

The PAC site is not in wetlands or floodplains and would only need upland review permits, he said.

The document also address other issues such as energy usages. See it at http://www.simsbury-ct.gov/sites/simsburyct/files/senior_center_update_081213.pdf