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QUICK QUOTE: Tom Mahanna Explains Why Amenities Building is Needed at Westford Academy

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Editor’s note: The following transcription was spoken by Tom Mahanna on June 20 at the annual Town Meeting. Mahanna was responding to questions about using $1.3 million in Community Preservation funds to pay for a new 1,820 square foot amenities building. A new building is needed to fall into compliance with the Board of Registration of Plumbers and Gas Fitters regulations. A certain number of indoor bathroom stalls are required in relation to the number of seats at the football field. The current 1,320 square foot building does not meet the requirements.

Tom Mahanna

Chair, Permanent Town Building Committee

Gordon B. Seavey award recipient, Tom Mahanna walks to the microphone. FILE PHOTO BY JOYCE PELLINO CRANE

 

“…This particular building is a continuation of several phases of the master plan that was developed for the complex. When the field and the home stands were replaced, it was a requirement that these bathrooms had to be added because of the seating capacity here is part of the improvements project and we basically were allowed to continue to use it as a facility without the bathrooms in place with the understanding that this amenities building with these additional bathrooms would get built within the short term.

After that, original stands were built. Because of code, the bathrooms in the high school do not meet the plumbing code requirements for this complex. So it’s important to understand that as (Building Commissioner) Mr. (Henry) Fontaine mentioned, we got a waiver to reduce the amount of bathrooms needed for this project and also the building itself is bare bones.

It’s not insulated. We tried to develop a project that would be the least cause of impact to the town. So this facility would be available during the large events particularly during the football season and in the spring. But it would not need to be maintained during the winter months.”

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