July 23, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
The well-attended July 22 select board meeting — joint with the Center for Active Living Building Committee — featured an initial presentation on the proposed new facility by the design team, with numerous citizens questioning the proposed size and cost while others spoke wholeheartedly in support of the project.
The intent of the meeting was to introduce the preliminary plans to the community and solicit input from the public.
Prior to the presentation, Town Administrator Tom Mayo introduced the new assistant town administrator for finance, Brittany Iacaponi. She is replacing Michelle Monsegur, who is resigning as of Aug. 7.
A new $35 million (current estimate), 28,700-square-foot, one-story CAL is proposed for Bare Cove Park Drive, featuring large windows to let in natural light, about 160 parking spaces — including some ADA-designated ones — and a covered drop-off area.
Other proposed amenities include a patio, gardens, an on-site walking trail, lawn areas to accommodate a variety of games and activities, a reception area, large multi-purpose room, restrooms, lounge, cafe, exercise/dance and arts studios, a fitness room, an auditorium for movies, lectures, musical entertainment and other uses, a conference room, a multi-purpose room for playing cards and other games, and other features.
Chris Wante of edmStudio, who has been working on the project design for more than a year, explained recent changes to the previously proposed site plan, including adding more natural landscaping in between the parking zones, the addition of a scenic trail around the site connecting the nearby ballfields with the park’s gated entrance, and accessible sidewalks throughout as a safety measure.
Changes to initial proposal floated
Major proposed changes relate to reducing the floor plan — including the size of the auditorium, classroom, exercise studio, volunteer space, and the break room. At the same time, about 400 square feet has been added to the reading room.
These changes would result in reducing the size of the initial footprint to 25,950 square feet, or a 10 percent reduction.
When asked by a resident what will the now-vacant police department space at town hall be used for, Mayo responded that the town is seeking a grant to allow the South Shore Regional Emergency Communications Center that operates from that location to move into the downstairs part of the now-vacant space and for that space to be used for office purposes. Part of the school department may also be situated there.
Building Committee member Vicki Donlan addressed what she called “the elephant in the room” by explaining that the initial plan to expand the current CAL into that space did not prove to be the right solution.
“Bare Cove Park is the perfect location,” in large part due to the lack of town hall parking, she said, and the need for more space than would be afforded by that solution.
A Baker Hill resident called BCP a “treasure for our community, providing a home for wildlife. I want to do right by our seniors, but not by taking away this land.”
‘Work together toward shared goal’
Mary Power, who supports a new CAL, shared concerns about the size and cost in light of a planned future override and more than $100 million of capital projects in the pipeline that will result in additional substantial tax increases, while also urging those on both sides of the issue to work together “toward the shared goal” of building a new senior center.
Power and others also expressed concern that if the size and cost aren’t reduced, the proposal and associated funding is at risk of not passing at next year’s Town Meeting by a 2/3 majority and at the ballot box by a majority vote. “What is that right balance?” she asked.
Along those lines, Mark Rockoff noted that many seniors “are already struggling with tax increases” and expressed concern about potential unintended negative consequences if the project moves toward completion, which would result in an additional significant tax increase.
He urged reconsideration “of the entire scope of the project before we unintentionally harm many seniors in town.”
‘This is a project worth a tax increase’
Senior Dick Ponte, on the other hand, strongly supports the proposed new CAL as does Ginny Ballou, who is also a senior.
“I’ll be 85 soon, and I need someplace to go where people know my name and are friendly, where I can engage in games [and other activities],” Ballou said. “This is a project that is worth a tax increase.”
Ponte noted the need for more space at the current CAL. “There were 21 people jammed into the living room for mahjong recently,” he said, as an example. “It’s a disgrace. The majority of people in this room are behind the project, and we will work [hard] to get a new CAL.”
Judy Sneath also had questions about the scope and cost and asked the select board and building committee “to think about seniors as taxpayers living on fixed incomes and those who are homebound” to come up with programs to help meet their needs.
“Does the new CAL need a reading room when we have a public library; does it need a theater when there are others around?” Sneath asked, among other considerations.
During the lengthy discussion, Yvette Kanter, a member of the Hingham Friends of the Center for Active Living, advocated for the new CAL, noting that after supporting the recent override and school, public safety, and other projects for years, the growing senior population deserves a new senior center.
Online tax calculator will be available
In response to a question from the audience during the hybrid meeting, Select Board Chair William Ramsey said a tax calculator will be posted on the town website at a later date for residents to determine the impact of such a new senior center on their property taxes.
He also noted that there will be further opportunities for public comment about the proposal in the future.
Voters at the recent Town Meeting approved $2.25 million in funding for expenses associated with design, architectural, engineering, owner’s project manager, and other professional services for the proposed new facility.
April 2026 Town Meeting voters will vote on construction funding for the project.
For full details go to https://www.hingham-ma.gov/1080/Center-for-Active-Living-Building-Projec.
I would like to correct a statement in today’s Anchor article about the newest CAL plans presented at the Selectmen’s 7/22 meeting that states that 400 sq. ft. have been added to the proposed reading room. This reading room was shown on the previous plan and was 20′ x 20′ so the new plan is not an addition—it is a repeat. And I think that is very small for a room that should be, like Marshfield’s senior center, much larger, with comfy club chairs, a bit like an English gentlemen’s club. It should not be isolated at the rear of the building as shown in this plan, but near the front entrance, in the midst of the activity of the center, and open to all, as at Marshfield, but especially handy for seniors, some older and using canes and walkers. Many of the oldest seniors, senior seniors I call them, are no longer able to participate in physically demanding activities, but are still very much in need of mental health activities that are easily accessible and inviting in a change of their environment—out of their house!