WILBRAHAM — During its June 24 meeting, the Wilbraham Select Board discussed the town’s options for future use of the Memorial School property, voting to move forward with installing pickleball courts and temporarily suspending work to designate the school as a historically significant property.
Chair Susan Bunnell began the conversation by explaining that the board had received a letter from Finance Committee Chair Kevin Hanks requesting that the town create a plan for the future use of Memorial School and the financial implications behind these options.
Town Administrator Nick Breault went on to state that the Historical Commission as well as Parks and Recreation were currently pursuing projects concerning the Memorial School property. For the Historical Commission, members have been working toward receiving a designation as a historically significant property at the state and federal level for “a few years now.” Alternatively, the Parks and Recreation Department was previously approved by the Select Board to install pickleball courts at Memorial School, Breault said.
He explained that there were three considerations before the board: whether to continue with the pickleball court project, whether to continue or temporarily suspend the Historical Commission’s inquiry into the historical designation and whether to follow through with creating a plan for future use of Memorial School, as per the Finance Committee’s request.
During the discussion, Parks and Recreation Director Bryan Litz gave a brief summary as to why Memorial School was chosen as the site at which the courts should be placed, stating that previously considered Spec Pond would not have enough parking and that the town chose not to accept the available offer in order to “be respectful” to abutters concerning potential noise from the courts.
Chair Roberta Albano then gave an overview of the Historical Commission’s work at Memorial School. She stated that the commission initially submitted an application to receive a historical designation from the state, which was achieved. At that point, the commission was notified of the potential to add the school to the National Register based on the building’s age and architecture. Albano also noted that a delay in the process could lead to needing to resubmit the application at a later date.
When asked if there would be any restrictions from receiving the designation, Albano said that the exterior historic appearance would need to be maintained, but that the interior could be modified. She explained that the Massachusetts Historic Commission would need to be consulted about whether the pickleball courts would conflict with the designation. Additionally, she stated that the town had the chance to receive tax incentives, grants and Community Preservation Act funds with the designation.
From the Select Board, members expressed support for both projects. However, they ultimately voted in favor of moving forward with the pickleball courts, noting that this project had already been approved by the board and was supported by residents at previous Town Meetings. Concerning the historical designation, members agreed to temporarily suspend the work while pursuing the creation of a plan for future use of the school.
