Center for Active Living site selection
Listen to this articleReading, MA — After a short presentation from Owners Project Manager Brian Hromadka on the site evaluation process, the Select Board voted 5-0 to select the town-owned land adjacent to the Burbank Ice Arena on Symonds Way as the location for the proposed Reading Center for Active Living (ReCAL). Hromadka noted that the Permanent Building Committee, the Council on Aging, and the Reading Center for Active Living Committee had all voted to recommend the site to the Select Board.
The Select Board also voted 5-0 to set aside space on the site for dedicated pickleball courts. The board had previously allocated $80,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to help with the design and implementation of pickleball courts on the site. The next hurdle for the ReCAL project is a vote to approve the project by Town Meeting, which is planned for April. Preliminary cost estimates for the ReCAL project are around $30 million.
Subcommittee Appointments
The board appointed six individuals to the Ad-Hoc Commemoration Establishment committee, which was charged with developing a proper town-wide recognition for the contributions of Celtics Legend Bill Russell. David Monahan was chosen as the board’s designee by a 5-0 vote, while Edward Dee and Monique Gnanaratnam were appointed full members by the same vote. Tara Gregory, Ryan Johnstone, and Greg Selvitelli were appointed Associate members of the committee by a 3-2 vote. Chair Carlo Bacci and member Christopher Haley were the dissenting votes. This was after a discussion during which Bacci opposed the appointment of Gregory due to what he referred to as untruths spoken by Gregory about him. Member Mark Dockser offered that few had been as passionate about the committee as Gregory and that the Select Board should not be about squelching opinions. Bacci replied that there is a difference between differing opinions and outright lies.
A similar discussion occurred over the appointment of Ashley Gross to the Cultural Council, with Haley questioning her objectivity. The board voted 3-2 to appoint Gross to the Council, again with Haley and Bacci as the dissenting votes. The board made five other committee appointments by a vote of 5-0.
After a discussion on Select Board policies to clarify how members are appointed and the meeting schedule for the Volunteer Appointments Committee, the board voted 5-0 to designate $21,359.91 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Health Department for rodent mitigation efforts using a “non-poison” method.
Future of Pleasant Street Center Building
The board also discussed the possible future of the Pleasant Street Center, with ideas ranging from selling the property to offset the cost of the new center, leasing the building, and using the space for office or other town needs. Dockser indicated that a discussion was needed as questions regarding the future use of the historic building were likely to arise from Town Meeting. He suggested the formation of a temporary committee to explore ideas.
“Not having an answer for Town Meeting says, ‘You’re not serious about [the new ReCAL project],’” Dockser suggested.
Bacci questioned the urgency of any decision, while Haley interjected his belief that the property needs to generate income for the town in some way to mitigate the costs of the ReCAL project. Bacci also shared that he would be concerned about just selling the property outright, only to regret that choice in the future. The board agreed to investigate the commercial value of the property and to continue discussing the matter at future meetings.
The Select Board adjourned at 9:50 pm.
