Thursday, September 21, 2000 Older Editions

Selectmen decision Monday may decide: This year for Andover youth center?

By Rebecca Piro

After two hours of discussion and eight tear sheets filled with notes, selectmen seem to be divided as to whether there is enough information to confidently place a youth center proposal on the Special Town Meeting warrant.

Three main questions, focused on the Andover Youth Foundation's proposal for a public/private venture to build a youth center behind West Andover Fire Station, were addressed by close to 100 townspeople who filled every chair in Memorial Hall Library's conference room Monday night.

The questions: Does the town need a youth center? Should it be privately or publicly funded by the Andover Youth Foundation (AYF)? And, is AYF's proposed location feasible?

Taking into consideration all that was said Monday, selectmen must decide next Monday, Sept. 25 whether they will place an article on the warrant to create a request for proposal, setting AYF's plan in motion. AYF has pledged it will raise $4 million to build the center itself, and needs the town to let it build the center on town land.

But whether there is enough time to satisfactorily answer residents' questions before November Special Town Meeting is another question in itself, said Selectman John Hess.

"We have to decide if there will be enough time to get those questions answered, if we are far enough along in the process," Hess said.

If the board agrees that there is not enough time, it will not put the proposal on the November warrant, he added, "because if Town Meeting doesn't have all the answers, it's going to vote against (the youth center proposal)."

AYF member Peg Campbell said that the big questions like those about transportation, location and funding can be answered by "experts" on those issues, such as the foundation members and architects who have already assembled the proposal. Selectmen should not hesitate to put the project on the warrant, she said.

She believes the public will be satisfied with those answers by November.

"We're saying that we want to raise the money to do this and we think we can. If it (isn't approved) we will be disappointed, but I don't think that will happen," she said.

But Selectman Mary French wants to see more than just good faith supporting the proposal come November.

"It is a worry to me, because I think we need a position that is well presented and well thought through. Time is terribly short," she said.

The selectmen have done their part by hosting Monday night's forum, Selectman Lori Becker said, and whether the townspeople's questions are satisfied is up to AYF.

AYF plans to address issues by traveling to schools, clubs, and parent-teacher meetings where members can spread their message and answer questions, said Campbell.

The fact that selectmen held an open forum on the topic is proof that the town is further ahead this time around than in 1995 when a youth center proposal came to Town Meeting and failed, said Selectman Ted Teichert, who is thinks he may vote in favor of the proposal Monday.

Chairman Brian Major, who said he has not made up his mind, will meet with AYF members on Friday to continue working to answer questions.

Campbell would not say whether the foundation will collect the 100 required signatures to put the proposal on the warrant if the selectmen will not do so themselves. Recently, member Larry Larsen said he did not anticipate the foundation needing to take that step.