Some months ago a posting appeared on this blog on the subject of purchasing and renovating the old 700 square foot baggage building for use as a welcome center. This renovation would include providing for restrooms, a kiosk for ticket sales and a waiting area. While the original cost was set at $403,200 ($282,240 covered by a federal grant leaving $120,960 to be covered by taxpayers) a subsequent engineering study put it at $700,000. (A big unknown, was the purchase price for the structure.) Nothing has changed in the past months except Bob Hall, chairman of the train station committee, once again asking that the Board of Selectmen place in the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) $403,000 for the purchase and renovation of this building.
So, how does he reconcile the difference between the $700,000 (which may be low) and the $403,000 he is seeking? Is a federal grant still available and can it be increased to account for the higher estimated cost? Where in the priority of spending on projects already in the CIP does this project rank? And more to the point, is this project an overkill?
Riders who have responded to questions on the use of the train station cite weather and parking as the issues to be resolved. It would appear that only a handful of commuters could fit into the proposed welcome center at best. Can a suitable weather enclosure be built at the platform? Would the infrared heaters that have been mentioned be adequate? Are restrooms even needed given they are provided on the train and commuters have just recently left their homes?
The "build it and they will come" attitude of some has not been backed by any surveys or facts. How would riders get from the train station to downtown to partake of a meal at one of our few restaurants or to shop in our boutique shops? For that matter, if train ridership is projected to grow 4% to 6% a year, where are these additional riders going to park? How much would it cost the Town (read that as taxpayers) to provide additional parking? And it has already been determined that charging for parking to help offset the cost of maintaining the parking area (such as snow removal) is not popular amongst commuters.
Does something need to be done at the train station to provide weather protection? It would seem so. Have all the alternatives to address this one central issue been examined and presented to the public? It does not seem so. So, why this overreach on the part of a few train station enthusiasts?
Where is the business plan for this Project? All the questions you raise should be in a Plan. Where is the plan and the data to support it. The plan needs to be public before we the citizens jump into this.
ReplyDeleteThe so-called need for this building is all hyperbole with no basis in facts. By the way, the taxpayers' portion of the previous warrant article was only $71,960. In-kind services was to provide $49,000 and the grant was to be $282,240. The $403,000 in the recent discussion is just a wild-ass guess since no one knows how much it will cost to buy the building. Add another $100K or so to the $403K. That's a 700 percent increase over the original taxpayer cost, for no value added.
ReplyDeleteI think shelter should be built into the platform area. It does not have to be a complex structure. A ticket booth could also be included but maybe that portion would need to be heated. Just a thought that may avoid the purchase from Gerry's Variety and save a lot of money. The parking problem needs to be solved before winter also.
ReplyDeleteThe passenger building at the Newburyport station has been closed almost from the day it opened. A mega-bucks fiasco. Exeter will be repeating the Newburyport mistake if we buy the baggage building. First, what exactly do we NEED? A waiting room? A place for the ticket machine? Do we really NEED restrooms? When these questions are answered, the solution is obvious.
ReplyDeleteIt is always best to know what is absolutely necessary for any project. Those necessities come first and then the accessory or comfort contingencies that may be needed and their extra costs should be considered. It’s better also to consider potential growth or need for additional space down the road. No point in building something too small or limited and then having to retrofit at higher costs later. Bottom Line - What's affordable? Most important for commuters is shelter from the wind, rain and snow, especially in the winter, in view of the parking problems and having to get to the station much earlier and wait for the train. One question though: Is there any land available whatsoever, even in small separate parcels, on the other side of the tracks nearby or opposite Gerry's variety that may be reasonably purchased by the town? Granted, any of that land is probably in a residential neighborhood with possible problems for the neighborhood residents or the town. Albeit, people traveling south towards Boston could use the parking provided on the opposite side of the track. There would then be the current parking areas available, on the Gerry’s Variety side, for those traveling north towards Durham. Just a thought that may have not already been considered. We definitely need more parking so commuters can wait in their cars now instead of wondering if a waiting room will be available at some arbitrary time in the very distant future.
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