City Residents: Connie Bean Sale Proceeds Should Fund Senior Services

Several city residents say they want the former Connie Bean Recreation Center sale proceeds to fund a new senior center and other services.

As part of the process to sell the former recreational center on Daniel Street, city officials held a public hearing to solicit public comment on how the city should use the sale proceeds.

City officials are currently accepting sealed bids for the former recreation facility until Dec. 12. The City Council voted in August to sell the former Connie Bean Recreation Center after the city received approval from the Rockingham County Superior Probate Court to clear the charitable restrictions that are part of the former recreation center's deed.

Assistant City Attorney Suzanne Woodland explained Tuesday night the sale proceeds have to go into a trust and the money has to be used for recreation, education and civic purposes. Senior Assistant Attorney General Anthony Blenkinsop, director of the Attorney General's Charitable Trust Unit, said its role is to assure the donor’s wishes are met as much as possible.

Woodland said some of the ideas being considered for the trust include using some of the sale proceeds to commemorate the military men and women who used the recreational facility after it was created in 1921 to improving the facility for future recreational purposes.

“What we have to determine is what those trust terms will look like,” she said.

Woodland added that ultimately the Rockingham County Superior Probate Court will have to give final approval as to how the sale proceeds in the trust can be spent.

Carl Diemers, chairman of Portsmouth Recreation Board, said the city has always had a commitment to recreation for our youth, adults and seniors. He said the funds could be beneficial to expand recreational opportunities for those groups. He also said they could be used to create more playing fields or acquire a future building for recreational purposes.

Barbara O’Rourke said she agrees there could be more recreational activities for seniors. She said seniors often get together and use the Portsmouth Indoor Pool.

“It is the only facility in Portsmouth that serves every single generation,” she said.

She said the Save the Indoor Portsmouth Pool group could benefit from a portion of the sale proceeds so they can continue to maintain that facility.

Maureen Arsenault said the money could be used to upgrade and expand the Spinnaker Point Recreation Center so it could serve as a future senior center given everything that is already there.

Brinn Chute, the city's senior services coordinator, also suggested the sale proceeds could be used to offer more senior services and senior transportation.

Christine Davidson suggested the city create a senior center at the former Connie Bean center and take down a portion of the existing building to create more parking.

Woodland explained earlier that the city has not created the trust fund yet for the Connie Bean Recreation Center sale proceeds. She also said the city does not know how much the former recreation facility will net for a final sale.