New Hartford closes community center Dec. 1 until April 30

By CHINKI SINHA

Observer-Dispatch

Posted Nov 08, 2007 @ 07:40 AM

Last update Nov 08, 2007 @ 08:23 AM

NEW HARTFORD – Town officials voted Wednesday night to close down the Kellogg Road Community Center for the winter months to save on utility expenses. 

The center, which is used by organizations and some town departments to conduct meetings, will close Dec. 1 through April 30, 2008. 

“When you can’t raise taxes further, you try to cut costs,” Town Supervisor Earle Reed said. 

The building’s utility bills for the winter months in 2006 were about $3,200, and the town collected $800 in usage fees in 2006, Councilman Robert Payne said. 

Making accommodations 
In order to accommodate the organizations that use the center, officials are looking at the possibility of using the conference room at New Hartford Public Library or some rooms at Butler Hall. 

While the library’s board of directors is not aware of the arrangements, a committee is working with the Town Board to figure out ways to make those accommodations, said Kevin Kelly of the New Hartford Public Library. 

Library officials said the conference room will not be used for private engagements.
Organizations that already had booked the Community Center for the winter, or those that have used it in the past, have been notified about the plans through the mail, officials said. 

“I have reached out to all those people, and they have no problems,” Payne said.
Resident would like public input 

While some residents agree with the town’s decision, others said it is not based on residents’ input. 

“They are making decisions that impact us,” said Ed Wiatr, who believes elected officials must look for ways to repair the building instead of closing it. 

“Did they ask the people?” he said. 

However, for resident Robert Mundrick, it is a financially viable decision. 

“Well, to close it down for the winter isn’t a bad thing,” Mundrick said. “They are trying to keep from raising the taxes. 

‘A piece of surplus property’
In addition to saving on utility expenses, officials said the building is in a “deplorable” state and is therefore unfit to use. 

“It needs a new roof,” Reed said. “We can close it down and analyze the viability of the building.” 

Town Planning Board member Jerome Donovan, who has attended board meetings in the center for seven years, said the building is an eyesore in the town’s redevelopment plan and occupies valuable commercial property. 

It also is unequipped for public presentations, he said. 

“It does not lend itself to audio-visual presentations, nothing for public comment,” he said. “I won’t shed any tears if they close it down. It is an unnecessary building, a piece of surplus property.” 

Whether repairs will be made to the building still is undecided, and members next spring will look to appoint a citizens committee made up of engineers and architects who can assess the building’s condition and decide its fate. 

Councilman David Reynolds said the town is exploring the financial feasibility of keeping the building open.