January 26, 2026 by Glenn Mangurian
Sixth in a Series: Learning about the New Center for Active Living Project
Summary
If you follow my Opinions for the Anchor, I prefer positive, educational and thought provoking essays. This Opinion essay discusses the question – Wasn’t the new CAL to occupy the space vacated by the police department after the completion of the new Public Safety Building? Here is a summary of this Opinion.
- A Proposal 15 Years in the Making:
The current CAL Proposal is the culmination of 15 years of study by volunteers and outside consultants with approvals/funding for a new CAL by several Town Meetings - Intention and Contingency:
While it had been the intention and desire among seniors to take advantage of the Town Hall central location, the support was always contingent upon consultants solving the existing parking problem. - Timing of Funding Consideration:
The Public Safety Building construction funding was voted and approved three years before outside consultant’s conclusion that there was no feasible parking solution for the Town Hall CAL renovation. - Independent Warrant Articles:
Warrant articles have historically been considered for approval as they are presented and independent of each other. To incorporate the CAL consultant’s recommendation in the Public Safety proposal the project would have been delayed three years. - Expansion Constraints and Reduced Life Expectancy:
In addition to the parking issue, the Town Hall location offered no room for expansion beyond the 15,000 sq. ft. renovated space. This constraint would likely significantly reduce the useful life of the facility from the desired 50 years. - Democracy in Action: Democracy can be messy. We all have a responsibility to act with civility. That’s who we are.
The remainder of this Opinion essay provides more detail on these summary points.
Have Town Leaders Performed a “Bait and Switch” Between the Public Safety Building and the New CAL?
I believe the answer is NO. Numerous public negative comments and questions have been raised regarding the expectation of the new CAL to occupy the vacated police station space after construction of the Public Safety Building. Some have stated that the new CAL at Town Hall was an important factor in their support for the Public Safety Building project. Comments such as “bait and switch”, “disingenuous” and even more severe have been made. Such comments are a disservice to the Town’s police or fire professionals whose needs were studied and documented independent of the yet to be conducted outside study and evaluation of the future CAL needs.
While it had been the intention and desire among seniors to take advantage of the Town Hall central location, the support was always contingent upon consultants solving the existing parking problem. At the time the Public Safety Building was being considered, no study by a qualified outside consultant had taken place about the appropriate facility size, associated parking requirements or cost projections.
Warrant articles have historically been considered for approval as they are presented and independent of each other.
While the Foster School and Public Safety Building were presented for consideration at the same Town Meeting, each was evaluated independent of each other as they should have been. If linkage and contingency were deemed by Town leaders to exist between the Public Safety Building and the new CAL, the leaders would have needed to discuss deviating from historical practice and defer the Public Safety Building consideration until the CAL consultant’s (experienced with Senior Centers) work was started, completed and reported. We can only speculate if the resulting vote on Public Safety Warrant would have been different.
What problems were discovered with expanding into the vacated police station at the Town Hall location
- Parking, parking and parking
The current 5,000 sq. ft. CAL has 18 parking spaces are woefully inadequate for the current size, let alone an expanded facility of 15,000 sq. ft. The consultant’s project the 15,000 sq. ft. facility would require 7 parking spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. (105 spaces).The 18 spaces constrain both the number and types of program available and limit those who choose to attend. Only three spaces are available for handicap parking permits – those with walkers, health restrictions and wheelchair users (like me). There are numerous times in which I have been unable to find parking for myself. I have been forced to abandon my plans and return home. The consultant considered six different options at Town Hall – none could provide an adequate parking solution without creating traffic problems for neighbors or eliminating Cronin Field – a deeded recreation field. - Building expansion constraints – Consultants reviewed current and projected senior population growth as well as CALs of comparable South Shore communities. Their initial judgement was that Hingham warranted a 28,000 sq. ft. facility. That size was reduced to 25,900 sq. ft. after value engineering by the consultants. Marshfield was the most relevant comparable. What was expected to be a long-term solution was quickly discovered to be inadequate in terms of both program space and parking. The Marshfield Center was expanded to 24,000 sq. ft. and about 200 parking spaces. On some days all of their parking spaces are taken. The Hingham Town Hall has no room for expansion beyond its available expansion to 15,000 sq. ft. The economic risk of discovering that the useful life was maybe 15 years (like Marshfield) was highlighted by the consultants.
The Bare Cove Drive alternative is the only Town-owned location that can deal with the problems discovered at the Town Hall site.
After identifying five additional town-owned sites, the Select Board decided to focus location evaluation resources on two – Town Hall and Bare Cove Drive. No other town-owned location is suitable for the new CAL. These two general locations were evaluated with six variant sites each. None of the six site options at Town Hall were evaluated as feasible. Six different sites were evaluated along Bare Cove Park Drive. The current proposal represents the best site using the extensive criteria. https://www.hinghamma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/23265/Advisory-Committee-Presentation-February-11-2025
The 2025 Town Meeting approved $2.5 million for Design, Bid Documents, and OPM funding at the preferred Bare Cove Park Drive location. The Advisory Committee voted 13-1 in favor and the Select Board voted unanimously in favor of that Warrant Article.
A “yes” vote advances a modern, 21st-century facility designed to serve Hingham’s seniors for 50+ years, benefiting current residents and future generations—including those now age 18 and older. A “no” vote saves the median taxpayer the $205 (or less, over average for the first eight years and declining thereafter)) but effectively ends the project for at least a generation. Voting “no” in 2026 with the expectation of revisiting the new CAL proposal again in one to three years would not change the current proposal (although possibly increasing the project cost) or its current objections. If revisited in 20 years, the required facility would likely occupy the same location and would likely be the same size or larger to meet Hingham senior’s 2046 needs.
Democracy can be messy. We all have a responsibility to act with civility. That’s who we are. Emotions can run high among our neighbors and fellow residents as we consider important Town spending. As we approach Town Meeting, the general public will raise questions, seek to understand the rationale and debate alternative points of view. For those residents who have volunteered their time over many years to study important Town projects, I understand that you may be frustrated by comments that may not be factually correct or issues that may have been discussed and resolved months or years ago. Town leaders are dedicated, volunteer residents who bring important life experiences and devote scores of personal hours on behalf of all of Hingham. I have always been impressed with the civility of our discourse and respect for our unique open Town Hall democratic process. It is one example of what makes Hingham special.