A rough outline of how the town’s offices would fit in the existing Thornton W. Burgess School.
Photo credit: Town of Hampden
HAMPDEN — Members of Hampden’s town leadership are considering repurposing Thornton W. Burgess School to house the town’s offices. At the second meeting on the topic, on Jan. 7, Selectboard Chair Donald Davenport went over several considerations.
Davenport said that the land for Thornton W. Burgess School was given to the town by Elizabeth Sessions, according to a Town Meeting warrant from 1931. The deed for the property does not specify a use or purpose. In 1997, the school property was taken by the town through eminent domain.
There are several issues that must be addressed before the town offices could move to the former school building. Davenport said the town would need to secure an attestation that the property is no longer needed as a school and a two-thirds vote at Town Meeting to change the building’s purpose. The property is zoned residential, so it would need to be changed for use as town offices. Davenport said a Title V inspection of the property’s septic system has been authorized and the town received a $45,000 grant to complete an energy management review.
Town Administrator Brian Domina presented a rough draft of the potential town office layout inside the former school. The gymnasium at the building’s rear would be used for the Parks and Recreation Department, along with three adjoining classrooms. Parks and Recreation Director Dan Blanchard spoke about the challenges the department struggles with, including programming and equipment spread over several locations. Since 2023, Parks and Recreation has added about 30 programs. With a permanent home at Thornton W. Burgess, Blanchard said the department could offer more summer and school vacation options, as well as intergenerational programming. The increased parking and accessibility would benefit everyone, he said.
The existing library would be expanded, creating distinct spaces for adults, and children and teens. The classrooms along the north face of the building would be used for document storage, the Water Department, the Cemetery Commission, veterans’ services and a small meeting room. The community pantry, which the town has agreed to house until 2035, would also be located there.
On the opposite side of the building would be the assessor’s, treasurer’s and town accountant offices, along with maintenance and mechanical rooms. The front of the building would be used for the Building and Planning departments, Conservation Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Health, collector’s office and town clerk. In the center of the building, the auditorium would remain as a space for Town Meeting. The town administrator and Selectboard offices would be centrally located.
The equipment in the commercial grade kitchen is at the end of its useful life, but Domina said the town may want to maintain the kitchen if the building were to be used as an emergency shelter.
“We tried, for the most part, to stay in the existing layout,” Domina said. There is room for additional offices without altering the building’s footprint. The size of the classrooms means that the offices they are converted into would be larger than average.
Selectboard member John Flynn said he was concerned that the office for the Building and Planning departments, Conservation Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals would need significant renovation if located in the area called out on the plan.
“This is a good first stab at it,” said Thad Clavette, interim chair of the Capital Planning Committee. “I appreciate it a lot.”
Town staff will tour the facility in the months ahead to provide feedback.
Thornton W. Burgess School is not the only building with needed improvements. In 2023, a renovation of the fire station was proposed, but the price tag of up to $9.81 million was too steep for residents to approve. In the same year, several upgrades were made to the fire station, including an updated electrical service, new generator, ventilation, wall-mounted eye wash station and fire extinguishers with signage.
Davenport said the town is expecting an architectural summary of the fire station in late January. Meanwhile, in a memo to the Selectboard, Fire Chief Ed Poulin identified what he sees as the most vital issues that must still be addressed. The primary issue is a lack of space, particularly in the apparatus bays where the fire tankers and other equipment are housed. He said the tight space for work, gear storage, decontamination and egress does not meet the guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or the National Fire Protection Association. He also said that as the firefighting apparatus ages out and is replaced, the bays will not accommodate their larger size.
More HVAC work is also needed. Poulin said the ductwork routing allows for cross-air contamination, and air from the apparatus bay must be isolated. Additionally, the furnace and hanging heaters are not efficient and air conditioning is needed.
Davenport said there is still work needed at the Senior Center. Someone at the meeting asked about moving the Council on Aging to Thornton W. Burgess School. Davenport said it had not yet been considered. He said the Senior Center was efficient for its needs, but the person countered that, if it were efficient, the department would not have been seeking to expand the building.
Another person spoke up, and said having a dedicated space for seniors was important and moving the department to the school building would “do a disservice” to older Hampden residents.
Flynn said that before the town goes to voters to request funding for the move and any initial renovations, there needs to be a 25-year plan in place with a “clear financial outlook” and expectations for how the existing town hall will be reused.
The next building utilization meeting is scheduled for February.
