HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-09-21 Board of Selectmen Executive Session PacketTO: Board of Selectmen
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Re: Community Center — Christian Science Church
Several years ago the Christian Science Church in Reading ceased its operations. Representatives
of the Reading church and of Creative Arts for Kids and I took a tour of the building at that time.
Since then the process has been ongoing to transfer the ownership to the Andover Christian Science
Church. That has now been accomplished.
I was contacted.last week by Mark Schwartz of the Andover Church. He said he understood that the
Town of Reading was possibly interested in buying the church. I told him that we were interested in
discussing this possibility, and on 9 -13 -10 Mark and Stanley Limpert of the Andover Christian
Science Church met with John Feudo and me to discuss the church. We toured the building.
The building was built in 1913, was expanded at some unknown date, and had major roof work done
in the late 1990's, funded through a grant from Mass Historical Commission. The porte- cochere has
also been extensively renovated.
We are looking into the potential for use of the building as a community center, per community
discussion at the World Caft-. Creative Arts for kids is also very interested in running programs
through a community center at this location.
I indicated to the church representatives that we would need to get an appraisal of the property, and
that purchase would be subject to Proposition 2 % debt exclusion. The soonest that would take
place would be April 2011. Before I spend money getting an appraisal I wanted some consensus
from the Board of Selectmen that we should move ahead at least to that point. The other item that I
would like to have done is a structural review of the building. Although it is generally in good shape,
there are some apparent locations of leaks that may have been remedied by previous roof work.
Facts about the church property:
♦ Built 1913
♦ Expanded?
♦ Additional expansion planned for church
school — but never built
♦ Building is on the National Register of Historic
Places
♦. Lot size: .49 acres
♦ Building size: 14,981 SF; 5,436 SF main floor
♦ Assessed value: $1,086,000
7'�'' 0
C , C
O O
� N
M 0 N
� � �' O) N @ C N •C C
C N
O C
'm 5 Trs •g H m aa�i v m mar m V o N Nip -
Ix E E o m c c •� m c m rn Y m m t'e rn d �o E° n u u c
m E O m Ot m C L�c� L Lr C d A C
�0L) it07G7J V V ci�U =� =� 0.� > C�:) NftStl�'E. N0.0
E a�
v <iTi
IL
J
i , iii '�'" .. -. "..-.. __ S-, r,,, n• 1 N� i � �
w
:
,t.
a
w
a
3 LOWELL ST
a S y5i
sa.
X
N
085-199 a0:45 T
� s ti e'•t.9
w
N
J
d w \ et 40 M
pq
C }
,
ft 4 OI
v
S
i
f M
l
N
a
e.
S PORN ST.. �Q t
A%''
3+' +
r t •l R
, 19
• i i, i � i 4 _
i
r�
r
:
ST
Lit
'yam
N
N s� 1.%NOEN ST
ken
NO
,
w . M
- i
:
r
! w
6-
J
CD
U^^
/J
m
C
�q
1�
1.3
,m
N
C �
O G
.y Of G
C
Of O
mCt
R W Lr IO h l0 C N
c
ff E° o m o a•E y c w N x v c m m v m y E d
E E m t m ° o`r a`+ o v o A m w c c S °�
m p p Y1 Of C L L. L a m .h- }. > C 4� ° aS tu m m y > C �_ } C m A 41
emlKUt� caL�USM �y �°� ��5 yrLL > on�� �5�D yl/)S m ! CL
o °00000 'J! q � IE
0£8 <<
1±
N M
NO
�y SANBORH Si
0 V 097.
N
D
C
C
AH F
9 d
L a r1
V/
V/
L
A
u
m
m
0
0
O
Q
N
J
J
W
O
J
M
,V,^J
VJ
w
cc
0
a
w
U
a
0
CJ
E� O
CC L
} N
D
2
a
� J
E
E
Cg 00
O
Y
V
Q
m
0
v-
C4
0
a.
Q
O
N
O
O
0
°o
0
0
oI
J
w
C)
Q
a
b$
Ln :i N N
W (D
� �> chi Za °o °o •�� �k "
N
NN r
SQe ai
E.-
Z Z
Z v H �� �
o N a o W
m �e
Z
lL (� o
U./_g N `gy`m zGo �
Z /�y�\ W r
tCC
o .v��A ✓ t Y� it ;ki
z
Fad D Gw
m €z N
W Co m N Y ,
a a
o $
t
0 0
8c201(gv cc a,:
Va o M
c'
mod' t`� Q m 7a
diw. -C �� U b
G cr z t5 U =
a
iii
gg �Fo -FO- C�W(Jc dt LL
e_� _ ° m
iyyt N N N tD
iL m ML m
ai Cb Q LL
Z cn
0 z= m ..5 32
Z w �'
o m 6nm� rim
N cicgw �I
J
m �
U.
Z w i/i .is LLI chi N N cr
W U n V ��� +mH C
U z �' '� zQ IL m
v c 05 r
CL m 'm q� cn �) c`�c9mmw sl
z
0 a �I •-
� �
0 (0
U.
Div = za'� CO V/
ui -7 m >` 6 0 —1 .- w cm w