Tolles-Parsons Center to Receive Additional Funds

Article 2 of Wellesley’s Special Town Meeting requesting additional money to study the Tolles-Parsons Center passed with 130 yes votes to 52 no votes Tuesday night.

The additional $308,855 will be used to change the original design so that a special permit may be obtained from the Planning Board.

The Tolles-Parsons Center will be located at 496 Washington St., Wellesley. To provide an additional 22 parking spots for the center, Wellesley Police Department’s driveway and parking lot would be expanded. A half-block crosswalk with a HAWK signal would be installed. The HAWK signal will stop traffic for pedestrians only as needed.

The proposed 15,000 square foot facility would house not only senior center activities, but also multi-generational programs, Council on Aging offices and staff. The facility would also adopt the collaborative model and use other town buildings for activities. 

Selectmen Chair Terri Tsagaris explained that its current site at the Wellesley Community Center does not have adequate space for the programs, and is not as accessible as other facilities in town.

“The 60+ population is growing faster than any other demographic. In fact the senior population in Wellesley is 5,429 individuals,” Tsagaris said. “The participation [at the senior center] has increased each year for past several years.”

Director of senior services Gayle Thieme agreed, noting that 5,765 individuals participated in social and recreational programs this year. A total of 4,827 participated in fitness programs. Also, 830 utilized social services. She also added that the senior room is not accessible by elevator and only holds about 20 people.

“The Council on Aging is at full tilt,” Thieme said. ”We have absolutely outgrown the facility.”

“There is an imbalance between what we ask of our seniors and what this community gives back to them. It is time to address this imbalance,” Tsagaris said.

In 2009, 72 percent of Town Meeting voted to appropriate approximately $600,000 for the design of the Tolles-Parson Center. This April, Town Meeting voted to appropriate an additional 165,300 to complete design and permitting because of additions to the project and escalation costs.

After the design work was completed, an application for a special permit was submitted to the Planning Board. The permit application was denied. As a result, changes were made to the project so another permit application could be made. There will be two points where work will be halted in the event the project does not meet Planning Board standards. Selectmen can then wait two years to resubmit the project.

The senior center was denied a special permit from the Planning Board because of traffic, pedestrian and parking concerns. Many of those issues were brought up at the meeting Tuesday.

Mary Anne Cluggish said in her research, she found that 70 percent of mid-block collisions are fatal. Seniors represent 22 percent of pedestrian deaths. She also said that the facility is too small to offer multi-generational activities.

Jeanne Conroy, Chairman of Planning Board, said that the Planning Board does want to have an open dialogue with the Permanent Building Committee at open public meetings.

“We’ll listen to any changes that the Permanent Building Committee has proposed,” Conroy said.