Keep offices downtown

The long-running and ever-changing challenge of where to place our city offices and community center in Old Town has taken a new twist. Now, it seems that the city is considering, and most probably will, move the city offices to the Herbert Sargent School location in Stillwater. For those of you who don’t know, the Parks and Recreation Department, in essence the community center, has already been moved to the Herbert Sargent School without any consideration given to the several public meetings that were held in Old Town.

Why do we have to do the whole reconstruction at once? The Riverfront Park has finally come together and we really have a wonderful attraction in downtown Old Town – a beautiful park, a new gazebo, a great new playground and splash pad, a new comfort station, a beautiful view. Then we move our offices and community center out of town. What are we thinking?

Consider the location of the Parks and Recreation Department in the Herbert Sargent School. All of the playgrounds, the swimming pool, senior housing and the schools are all located on this side of Stillwater Avenue. How does that impact travel expenses? How does that impact programs?

It may be better to do nothing than to move our offices to Stillwater. If we can’t do it all now maybe we should wait until we come up with a suitable option. Moving out of downtown is not a suitable option. We should have a public hearing on this issue as soon as possible, and the hearing should be held at the Helen Hunt School, a 100-year-old building and an integral part of Old Town’s history.

I urge any citizen to express his or her opinion by calling or emailing our city councilors.

Carol May

Old Town