Manchester Finance Committee Recommends $250,000 for Senior Center Design With Mandatory Checkpoints

MANCHESTER-BY-THE-SEA — April 23, 2026 — Manchester-by-the-Sea Finance Committee unanimously recommends $250,000 for senior-community center design, cutting the original request by $100,000. After more than two hours of debate Wednesday, the committee voted 6-0 to recommend the appropriation from the Parks and Recreation revolving fund for design work on the Central Street Masonic building project — down from the $350,000 requested by town staff and the Select Board. Finance Committee Chair Sarah Polish and members including Gar Morris, Maury Creighton, John Croft, Dean Nahadis, and Andy Olden approved the lower figure only after extracting commitments to contractual checkpoints: a 30 percent design milestone review by August 31, accompanied by an updated project cost estimate, and a go/no-go decision by both boards before spending may continue toward 75 percent design. Project architect John Harden of Olsen Lewis, reached by text during the meeting, confirmed $250,000 was sufficient to reach 75 percent design under a phased contract structure. Morris had earlier put the stakes plainly: "We were wrong" about the original cost projection, with the estimated project cost now approaching $6 million against a feasibility-study target of $2.5 to $3 million, and fundraising advisors saying they cannot make major asks without firm project costs and visible board support. Voters will decide Article 6 at Monday's Annual Town Meeting.