Newbury Select Board Takes Public Input on Proposed Senior Center Site

Select Board · Meeting of January 31, 2026

Newbury holds public forum on proposed new Council on Aging building near town library. The Select Board and an ad hoc site-selection committee convened a joint session January 31 to gather resident feedback on a report recommending a new senior center of 10,000 to 14,000 square feet be built adjacent to or attached to the Lunt Street library, the top-ranked site among town-owned parcels. No votes were taken.

Committee chair Damon said the COA has been "turning people away" for lack of space and that Director Cindy Currier's staff must relocate yoga classes to the field house and library because the current 12 Kent Way rental is too small. Contractor Bob Connors, who participated in committee meetings, estimated construction costs could approach $800 per square foot, putting a 12,000-square-foot building near $10 million. The committee is asking annual town meeting to appropriate $250,000 for a professional feasibility study and schematic design — an amount Connors called the real test of community appetite: "If we're not willing to spend 250 grand and get to the next step, then we're not willing to spend any money on building it."

In the full story:

• The complete report — 862 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of January 31, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.