Suitability of Available Town Lands for Municipal or Other Uses - Summary Notes

Town Hall (Cornell Theater)

The structure is not suitable for town hall functions. It is too small and crowded and lacks meeting rooms, storage, and a work area. It is hard to maintain. The building would work much better as a theater and cultural center.

Town Hall Annex

The building is overcrowded and separated by several blocks from the administrative functions at Town Hall.

This is a large property (3.4 acres) that is not being put to its best use. There are several potential uses for the site.

Our recommendation is to locate the Fire and Ambulance services at the front of the site and to use the rear of the site for recreational facilities (tennis and basketball).

Fire Department Building at Beach Street

The site is problematic for the following reasons:

It is located in a congested area of downtown.
The building is too small for the Fire Department's existing equipment (e.g. the ladder truck is currently stored at the DPW garage).
The structure is in very poor condition and probably beyond repair.

The site could be used to create a 24- to 30-car parking lot to augment parking for downtown and the park. This would be useful at least until a longer-term function is agreed on. In the future, it could be leased or sold for private development. The property is currently valued at $1,285,200 dollars ($472,300 for the building and $810,000 for the land). The assessed value of the building seems high, since it is reported to be in very bad condition, including foundation and structural problems.

Police & Ambulance Building

There are two services that share this building, but neither is particularly well served. The building is at the rear of the Water Street Lot, probably the most difficult and congested location in the town.

Ambulances barely fit into their garage bay. In the future, new trucks will not fit at all.

For the police, the building is poorly laid out with much space wasted.

Both services reserve valuable parking spaces that might otherwise be available for the public.

Spring Street Storage Garage

This is a very inefficient use of a valuable site. We have 20,000 square feet (approximately ½ acre) of land on Spring Street directly across from the school.

The storage facilities should be relocated to the DPW complex.

The site would make an excellent location for the Police Department. The ½ acre site is adequate for their needs.

Being adjacent to the school enhances their security.

DPW - Building Complex

This is the location where we should try to locate as much of the Town's storage and mechanical equipment as possible. Maintenance and repairs are done here.

Equipment from the Spring Street storage garage should be relocated to this area.

DPW - Reserve Area for New Leaching Field

In the past, this territory (approximately one acre of land) was considered as a possible site for an Emergency Services facility. However, we may have to expand our sewer capacity, and this site is the only land in the area that can function as its leaching field. This reduces the useable vacant land to approximately half of an acre, which is too small to accommodate an emergency services building.

DPW - Water Tower Area - Compost Yard

A half-acre of land is available here that may be used as a temporary space for the Annex departments while permanent facilities are being built.

The structure can then be used as a permanent site for Water Department facilities or other Town needs.

DPW - Landfill

Landfill area is capped and cannot be used for building construction. However, open land may be used for other purposes. These include ball fields and other recreation facilities, wind turbines, and vehicle storage.

Council on Aging Building (Senior Center)

The building is well-suited for its present purpose. The facility also provides much-needed meeting space for mid-sized gatherings.

The basement area is currently being used for record storage and is otherwise lightly used. The Council on Aging would like to see converted rooms for needed activities such as a computer lab, educational programs, or other activities.

Water Department

The Water Department needs to construct a garage to house their equipment which may be disruptive to the ambiance of the park. If the department were to relocate to a site next to the DPW, the current building could be converted to facilities that support the park functions being introduced with the restoration of the Spring Building

The Spring Building at the Waterworks

The building is being renovated to incorporate a small museum and otherwise serve as a center for park users. Special events, such as weddings, are expected to generate revenue for maintenance and operations.

If the Water Department were not using its building at this site, it could be used as an adjunct to the park for activities, meetings, and educational spaces.

Church Street Parking Lot & Tennis Courts

There are two tennis courts and a 12-car parking lot at this site. However, the shortage of parking to serve the Cornell Theater, the Playhouse, churches, and the Downtown area creates a priority need.

The courts can be relocated to the nearby field behind the Town Hall Annex. The property can then be converted to a medium-sized parking lot of about 40-48 cars. Care has to be taken to retain the trees and vegetation in and around the courts and maintain a park-like ambiance for the site.