Independence Township officials and area seniors are once again planning to revisit the issue of new Senior Center facilities in Independence Township.
The Independence Township Senior Advisory Committee is recommending a new building with adequate basic structure, then adding on as expanded needs can be demonstrated and dollars are available.
Independence Township residents voted down a new senior center proposal in August 2002 when it was combined with improvements to Clintonwood Park and had a $7.5 million price tag. In November 2002 , a proposal combining a new township hall and a community center with senior facilities for $26 million was also voted down by the voters.
Lois Seddon, a member of the advisory committee, said the new facility the committee is discussing will fall far short of earlier proposals in scope and cost.
‘The discussion will focus on the immediate needs of our growing population of seniors and will not attempt to solve all of the township’s building requirements, such as the need for a new town hall,? Seddon said.
While the committee’s approach to a new building is conservative, they are hoping it will provide space for meeting rooms, athletic facilities, locker rooms and offices.
‘We are not interested in building a Taj Mahal,? senior committee member Harry Knitter said. ‘We just want to have adequate facilities that are appropriate for the kinds of programs and recreation that we (the seniors) need.?
The current Senior Center at Clintonville Park, which was built as a family homestead, is considered outdated and inadequate by the advisory committee.
‘We have done just about everything we can to plug the leaks, block the drafts and patch the walls,? Senior Center coordinator Margaret Bartos said. ‘It’s costly to maintain and never was expected to fulfill our needs. Many of our programs are conducted at offsite locations because we don’t have the space or facilities to handle them at the center.?
Another major concern for Bartos is the center is not handicap assessible.
‘People in wheelchairs can’t even get around in the current senior center,? Bartos said.
Township Supervisor Dale Stuart agrees with the seniors about the current facilities and is bringing an open mind into the discussions.
‘The senior facilities are woefully inadequate,? Stuart said. ‘We want to explore all our options and see what we can do and what we can plan for. We need to be careful about it.?
When asked about putting the issue on the ballot again, Stuart stated it was ‘certainly an option but not the only way it could be done? and that ‘we will not ignore what the voters have said before.?
Sandy Meyer, Bob Brown, Seddon and Knitter will represent the advisory committee and meet with Stuart, Clerk Joan McCrary, Trustee Dan Travis and planner Dick Carlisle March 30.
‘The likelihood is that we will have at least 15,000 or more seniors to serve in 2020,? Seddon said. ‘We need to look toward the future and be ready to meet our needs sooner rather than after the fact.?