Newton’s Council on Aging have shared the following letter, which was sent to the Parks and Recreation Commission in support of NewCAL at Albamarle Field.
To: Newton Parks and Recreation Commission
From: Newton Council on Aging Executive Committee
Cc: Newton City Councilors
Robert DeRubeis, Commissioner, Parks and Recreation
Date: 12 September 2019
Re: Consideration of Albemarle/Gath as a site for NewCAL
Dear Members;
As members of Newton’s Council on Aging, we have been long time advocates for a new Senior Center.
We have followed the NewCAL site selection process closely, and look forward to the feasibility study to follow. We appreciate that enormous effort has been expended in getting to this point, with the thoughtful and thorough involvement of many participants. We want to express our support for Albemarle/Gath as the potential site for a new Senior Center, and strongly encourage you to proceed with the feasibility study.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Newton Council on Aging Executive Committee
“The Council on Aging is a group of interested volunteers appointed, by the Mayor”
So of course they support this….
The new senior center should not be at the albemarle/gath location a poor choice. The main reason there is no public transportation. Second I do not think it should include all residents, it should be used as a senior facility for all of those people that have supported the city most of their life. At least the current senior center is in Newtonville on the bus line.
Those citizens on the mayor’s advisory committee should reach out and conduct a survey with the Newton seniors. I think this committee should include a few citizens close to being seniors. Let’s put this question on the facility location on the ballot.
A centrally located area is Newton Center as it is the center of Newton.
It is closed to the Newton Center T stop too.
Let’s get real people seniors deserve respect, but most of them are getting walked on.
Unless they are elected they don’t represent Newton Seniors
It is most unfortunate that the Council on Aging has allowed itself to be politicized by the Mayor in such a damaging way by its backing of an overwhelmingly opposed costly NewCAL athletic complex — pretending to be a senior center — sited in a locationally deficient and legally problematic parkland site.
I am a member of the COA, and write with my personal views. Please don’t make the mistake of dismissing our efforts as being political pawns, it is really offensive. Go visit the current senior center and you will agree that we need a new senior center. Look at the US Census factfinder site and see the aging of the Newton population. No site was ever going to be without drawbacks. The workgroup believes Albemarle is the most acceptable site. If you do not after your extensive research and insights on the topic, go to one of the 10 listening sessions and add your voice to the process.
Is this going to be a senior center or a community center? The explanations from the Administration seem to have been changing over time. Maybe it’s a matter of semantics, but maybe it’s not. Will the facility be open at all times to people of all ages? After all, current use of Albemarle is open to all. Do seniors want a mixed-use facility, i.e., with families and children? Or do they favor a facility that is mainly designed for senior programs? If the latter, what is the intention to have some priority access for seniors, and, if so, how will that be enforced?
As far as I can tell, those of us who are seniors in the community have not been broadly consulted on these kind of issues. (No, the “listening sessions” were not a broad consultation.) Ditto for those who live in the Albemarle neighborhood or others from throughout the city who currently use the park. Have they been asked?
Finally, the COA position, no matter how well intentioned, does not address the legal requirements that the Parks and Recreation Commission must follow in approving a re-purpose of city-owned open space. See a summary of those requirements here: https://village14.com/2019/09/12/newcal-heads-to-the-parks-recreation-commission/#axzz5zVH4SgAn
For as long as I’ve been following civic life in Newton, the Council on Ageing has played an active role in our community and on seniors.
Disagree with them if you choose, but vilifying the individuals who volunteer their time to making Newton the best it can be, is unfair.
I just don’t get how they can ignore the legal issues of using parkland. It is not free land to be used as the Mayor chooses.
I think there is much support for a Senior Center but not support for the Community Center concept. It baffles me the energy and resources pushing this forward,
If the stick to their plans, the space they are taking is entirely within the 1.4 acres of “hardscape”, e.g. pool, basketball, tennis courts etc. ( I measured it using Google Earth Pro) . I don’t know if that technically qualifies as parkland or not.
That said, when you look at the plans, as seen online, they will of course build 2 stories which is 120000 sq ft of construction. Frankly, given that the pool and gym will take up much of the first floor, I wonder how much additional space they will have compared to the current senior center.
“Community Center” is a misnomer as well (as a “Senior
Center”). With full gymnasium and combo indoor/outdoor swimming pool, NewCAL is primarily an “Athletic Center”.
I’ve got no dog in this hunt, but I agree totally with Greg on this one. The Council on Aging does a great job in trying to meet the needs of seniors and that’s far from an easy task. The problem is that we vary tremendously in our physical and mental conditions and what we can and want to do in a senior center. And this often has nothing to do with age. Despite onset Parkinson’s that I’m fighting it tooth and nail, I’m still pretty healthy and active for an 83 year old geezer. Not everyone is so blessed.
Bob B., gymnasium and swimming pools were not originally contemplated to be part of a larger (than just Walnut Street) new senior center. They are already available in the city for those seniors interested and able.
@Jim Epstein. You are right The Y has a beautiful Olympic sized pool and I’m one of more than thirty seniors that swims 3 times a week in their early AM Water Aerobics and “Swimnastics” class. We’re starting to get young folks crashing our class. I love the Y and the many things I do there. I don’t think I’d leave it to go to the proposed senior center arrangement. On the other hand, many seniors are probably reluctant to start something like this at the Y. Maybe they would feel more comfortable doing it under the auspices of a Newton Senior Center. Don’t know.