By Marcia Parnell
The Ad Hoc Building Committee, whose formation was initiated by the Town Administrator and approved by the Select Board, has begun its work to review four Town facilities to assess potential maintenance and improvement options. The Committee kicked off in October, and tours have since been conducted at all of the sites: Town Hall (557 Main Street), Station 2/Ambulance Garage (629 Jacob’s Ladder Road/Route 20), Station 1/Fire Department (108 Washington Street/Route 8), and the Highway Garage (47 Lyman Street). One of the top priorities, according to Administrator Warden and voiced previously by Select Board Chair Bill Elovirta, is addressing the accelerated wear and tear that expensive Highway Department equipment undergoes because there is no covered or enclosed structure to house the vehicles and other gear.
Warden expects the Committee’s assessment to take approximately one year from kickoff. The six-member team is made up of residents with a cross section of interest and expertise: Al Blake, retiree; Bruce Davey, owner, Davey Associates, Inc., structural engineer; Jan Elovirta, Becket volunteer firefighter; Tim Gooding, Principal, Gooding Architecture LLC; Mark Hanford, former Becket Fire Chief; and Jeff Wilkinson, real estate agent, Stone House Properties. Meetings are held monthly on various Thursdays, and residents are welcome to attend. Check the Town Meeting section of Becket’s website for details. Given the expense and long-term nature of the total initiative, public input throughout the process is important.
