Local Columns
The proposed town hall - why so large?
By Robert G. Yandow
York Town Manager
Pictured here is the view of the front of the proposed new town hall as it would be seen from Long Sands Road, if voters approve a request for about $6.5 million to build the new municipal complex on land voters approved for just such a use at the polls last May. Also pictured is a similar view of the current Town Hall for comparison. According to town officials, the front of the main section of the proposed new building is the same width as the current Town Hall - 40 feet.
Courtesy photos
To start, the current Town Hall is primarily all taken up with some sort of office space. There is no inside storage and very little by way of mechanical or "physical plant" space. As most of you know, the Recreation Department is located in the Grant House, not in Town Hall. When we add in the approximately 1,600 square feet in office space that the Recreation Department currently uses, we now have current office use of 7,500 square feet. Finally, when we add in the 180 square feet in General Assistance Office space, we reach a total of approximately 7,680 square feet in current office usage.
By contrast, the proposed square footage for office space in the new town hall, including recreation and general assistance, is approximately 9,000 square feet. This amounts to an increase of 1,320 square feet. Much of this increase can be attributed to the town clerk's security vault and work/waiting area, along with increased office and waiting area for the Code Enforcement Office. The additional office space in the code office will allow for more privacy for those citizens conducting business at the counter.
So, we have approximately 9,000 square feet in office space; what else is included to get to 22,500 square feet? The short answer is a public meeting room, a storage room, a mechanical/electrical room and common areas for lobbies, bathrooms, stairways and an elevator.
The public meeting room, as currently configured, is approximately 2,000 square feet. This would allow for meetings or community events that could accommodate about 200 people. For comparison purposes, the meeting room at the library is approximately 1,300 square feet. If the town hall is approved by the voters, the public meeting room in the library will serve as backup meeting space in the event the public meeting room at Town Hall is being used by a board or commission. Currently, the small meeting room at the library or the senior center is used a backup meting space.
Another 3,000 square feet will be shared by a storage room and the building services (mechanical/electrical) room. Currently, there is no inside storage at Town Hall and we rely on approximately 680 square feet of storage in a garage that we share with the First Parish Cemetery in the rear parking lot. The Recreation Department also rents approximately 120 square feet of storage space on a monthly basis that would be discontinued if the town hall is approved.
The remaining 8,500 square feet is comprised of all additional storage areas, smaller conference/work rooms, stairways and general circulation areas, bathrooms, a small kitchen, an elevator and elevator mechanical room. After all of the calculations are done, the 22,500 of interior square footage is assigned in the following manner: 40 percent to general office use, nine percent to a community meeting room, 13.3 percent for storage and mechanical/electrical and 37.7 percent to all common areas within the building. In addition, I should point out that there is also 1,200 square feet in covered walkway located at the entry to the first floor on the north side of the building.
The selectmen will be conducting a public meeting on April 2 to discuss the project and to receive input from the public.
