5/3/2023 The Capital Facilities Committee has recommended a new Council on Aging on the current site and a Recreation Center to be built at the PHR complex. 

05-03-2023 Presentation 

Click Here to view 03/28 Capital Facilities Presentation

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February 13, 2023 @5:30pm Thomas Conway Hearing Room #205

2/13/22-Agenda February 13, 2023 Executed Agenda

2/13/23-Click Here to view Presentation by ABACUS

2/13/23-Zoom Link Click Here for Zoom Link

Past Meetings

3/30 Cancelled Meeting Notice

Executed Agenda March 2, 2022

Agenda Memo from TM

Masonic 9/21 Memo

2/2/2022 

Power point and layouts!

The presentation for the Public Forum is available here. 

Public Forum on October 27th

As a part of the Capital Facilities Planning Process, the Town will host a public forum on Wednesday, October 27th, at 7pm in the Town Hall Auditorium. We invite you to share your thoughts on the future of the Recreation and Council on Aging buildings and on what you would like to see in a potential new intergenerational center. 

Call (978) 215-1950. Your message will be transcribed and sent to the committee.

Email Capital Facilities Committee 

Survey Attached here - https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0Ps3cUy1gd7R6ui

Join us for a Zoom Meeting in Dec! 

The presentation for the Public Forum is available here.

October 20, 2021 Meeting

10/20/21 Presentation

6/30 Kick Off Meeting Documents -

Kick Off Meeting Documents 

Finalist Bids for Capital Facility Study

BHA

GRLA

Bid Documents:

Facility Bid

Old Ditson School

Masonic Structural

Housing Authority Stats

COA Background

Recreation Report

On December 16^th the Board of Selectmen held a working session to start the conversation of a Town-wide Facilities Master Plan. The Board made significant progress on the matter. Outcomes of the conversation can be found below: 

Committee:

The Board of Selectmen will appoint a committee composed of the following:

• Voting Members 
  1. Council on Aging Chair
  2. Recreation Commission Chair
  3. FinCom Chair
  4. Planning Board Chair
  5. Housing Authority Chair
  6. (2) Selectmen Appointed by the Chair
  7. School Committee Chair
  8. Conservation Commission Chair
• Ex-Officio Members
  1. Town Manager
  2. Planning Director
  3. COA Director
  4. Recreation Director
  5. Superintendent of Schools
  6. Executive Director of the Housing Authority
  7. Building Commissioner 

Scope of the Committee:

The Capital Needs Committee will be tasked with developing strategic recommendations for the re-use, renovation, and / or possible disposition of all Town-Owned buildings, properties, and potential properties for the long term and short term needs in the Town of Billerica.

• Tier 1 Needs
  1. Council on Aging 
  2. Recreation
• Tier 2 Needs
  1. Schools
  2. Housing
• Tier 3 Needs
  1. Fire Stations  

This committee will also work under the assumption that the Sewer, Howe School, Pinehurst Fire Station, and DPW building are not part of the scope. It will also be understood that the Old Ditson and Vining School will be demolished. 

MUNICIPAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN AND SPACE NEEDS ANALYSIS

Over the course of the next 20 years the Town of Billerica will have to make many decisions about town owned parcels, future uses of buildings, potential new construction, and what department occupies what spaces. In an effort to determine current and future needs as well as priorities the idea of this committee was developed.  It consists of stakeholders throughout Town Boards and Departments who will help guide the future of the Town.

The final goal will be to recommend to the Board of Selectmen and Town Meeting the roadmap of the future of our facilities, parcels of land, and next steps. To advance to that point will be a lengthy process. The next steps are laid out below.

A process like this will need to be conducted by experts in the field of master planning and space needs. The Town will put this project out to bid through the RFQ process. The Town will do the first round of interviews and bring back the most qualified to the committee for a final vote.

The first task of this committee is to create a scope of work or purpose that we would like the consultant to work within. This scope will make up the bulk of the RFQ.  I have provided a guide below.

Scope: 

1. Departmental programing evaluation to identify space needs
2. Analysis of all Town Owned Buildings and Parcels of Land (including, Old Ditson, Masonic, Cider Mill, Vining Schoo, current COA and Recreation Buildingl)
   1. Creation of a maintenance schedule
3. Identify critical issues and efficiencies through a review
4. Plan for future community needs and trends including housing. (Senior, workforce, affordable, veteran.)
5. Identify relocation opportunities and if needed new construction
6. Long term recommendations regarding the future uses of the buildings in Town.

From that the consultant will work with the committee on the path forward. This will include progress updates, community meetings, community input sessions, and background work on the buildings.  The deliverables that the town will be looking for in the end are below.

Outputs
 Executive Report Detailing current and future programming needs and recommendation on how to best use existing assets to meet those needs.

• Recommendations on what assets to retain and what assets may be used for other community purposes.  
• Recommendations on feasibility studies that get into greater detail on specific program areas   Establish expectations by suggesting timelines to realize these program and facility enhancements.
• Establish expectation of flexibility recognizing that needs could change due to constantly changing influences.  
• Assess the financial resources needed to accomplish these goals and how these resources can be found.