(Oct. 27, 2025) – Special Town Meeting approved a $11.55 million debt exclusion to fund the senior center project last night. Now Ayer residents head to a ballot election on Tuesday, Nov. 4th.
Voters approved all 10 articles at Special Town Meeting, which was held in the Ayer-Shirley Regional High School auditorium. The meeting began around 7 p.m. The Town Moderator did not share the number of people in attendance, though it appeared well over the 50-person quorum. A lot of residents were older.
Many residents spoke in favor of the new senior center project and the financing plan. But two Finance Committee members and a few residents also brought their concerns about the large size and high cost for the two-story, 13,000-square-foot building proposal. The proposal is to build on town-owned property on Bishop Road.
Zoning Articles – Town Meeting Reduces Parking Requirement for Residential Units in Downtown Zoning District
We’re going to hold coverage of Article 1 and 4 (due to time). But voters quickly approved Article 2, which the Land Use Director said corrected a clerical error in the Flood Plain Bylaw.
Voters spent more time on Article 3, ultimately approving the measure and reducing the parking requirements for developers who build residential units in the Downtown/Park Street Form-Based Code District, including where the former Santander Bank building stands at Park and Main streets.
Before the vote, developers were required to have 1 parking space per residential unit. The article asked voters to allow .5 parking spaces per unit.
The meeting warrant said many towns are eliminating minimum parking requirements and moving toward maximum spaces allowed, without reporting negative impacts.
Prior to Town Meeting, a developer had submitted materials to build a four-story building at 3-5 Park Street and a public hearing was scheduled for Oct. 28th, the day after Town Meeting. This was not scheduled to be opened (Source: Planning Board agenda). This proposal included 6 on-street parking spaces and 6-off street parking spaces. This is the .12 acre property between the former Santander Bank property, Park Street, the Nashua River Rail Trail and the MBTA parking garage. Here is the agenda, which shows what will happen next with the application (This paragraph was edited after we first published as an effort to make it easier to understand).
Three Easements Passed
Residents voted to support the town entering into three easement agreements, one that will allow National Grid to connect electricity to a new home on Newton Street (the Habitat for Humanity project). The second easement will allow Catania-Spagnia, located at Nemco Way, to install and operate a storage container, which will be approximately 2,000 square feet in size. A third easement, for town-owned property at 99 Barnum Road, will allow the Select Board to enter into an easement with National Grid to install and maintain electrical upgrades related to the Town’s Clearwell Storage Tank and Pumping Station.
Community Preservation Fund Articles
With approval of Article 8, the town will use $400,000 in Community Preservation Funds to support the “buy-down” of two to three units at Devenscrest on Littleton Road. This will allow residents with lower incomes (60 percent AMI vs. 80 percent AMI) to live in the units. We would like to share more in coming days.
Article 9 called for Town Meeting to transfer $250,000 from the Community Preservation Fund to support the Ayer Housing Authority’s purchase of generators for two buildings on Pond Street.
Here is a little background on Community Preservation Funds: Ayer is one of 201 communities in Massachusetts where residents have approved the Community Preservation Act (CPA Act), according to the Community Preservation Coalition.
As of November 2024, Ayer was among 78 communities that assess a 3 percent surcharge on property taxes for CPA. This is the highest amount allowed under the CPA Act and this opens the town up for more opportunities to qualify for matching funds through the statewide CPA process.
Here in Ayer, we have a local Community Preservation Committee led by residents.
The town can set aside its CPA fund to support:
- Affordable housing
- Acquisition and preservation of historical resources
- Acquisition and preservation of open space
- Creation of outdoor recreational opportunities
I tried to share a little more information on the CPA in response to a resident’s questions and interest. But the best way to learn is by attending an Ayer Community Preservation Committee meeting. Meetings are posted on the Town of Ayer’s meeting calendar.
Senior Center Passes, Town Moderator Calls 2/3 Majority
With the COA Director and Town Manager presenting, voters approved Article 10 and appropriated $13.55 million for the $15.1 million senior project by authorizing a debt exclusion up to $11.55 million and transferring $2 million from the Capital Stabilization Fund. The town is proposing construction of a two-story, 13,000-square-foot senior center on Bishop Road.
With Town Meeting’s vote, the debt exclusion now heads to the ballot on Nov. 4. This is the only article on the Special Town Election.
What was said on Town Meeting Floor
Many residents came to speak or vote in favor of the debt exclusion.
After the town’s presentations, residents had a chance to ask questions and respond, including two Finance Committee members and a few other residents, who voiced concerns about the project size and cost.
One resident praised the presentation, but said the building was simply too large. “I don’t think a project like this would have taken so long to pass if it were smaller. It’s just too large. Something a little smaller and you’d have my vote. But I have to dissent.”
The COA Director explained the building commitee’s process, which included reviewing more than 50 town-owned properties in Ayer, then talking to other senior center directors and visiting other projects. The senior center building committee just reduced the project size a few months ago at the Select Board’s request.
Another resident said the price tag was a little frightening and could be a burden for his family. He asked why the Finance Committee had voted 2-1-1 not to recommend the measure.
One Finance Committee member explained the recommendation and said, “We would have liked to explore alternative options such as a phased construction…what could we get for $8, $10 and $12 million, which would have allowed for more informed evaluation…” We encourage you to watch his full comment at 2 hours and 6 minutes into the meeting video because our blurb doesn’t capture what he said.
A few points: He spoke about the size of the project and the potential taxpayer burden if grants were not obtained and touched on the hiring of a new employee and an increase in operating budget costs. He said the Finance Committee will stand behind residents no matter what they choose but wants to make sure everyone understands the costs.
A second Finance Committee member said, “I think we all understand the current situation (for the senior center) and it’s not ideal… That’s not a point of contention. The point of contention on my part is the expense of the proposed senior center.” Again, we encourage you to watch his full comment at 2:11 min into the meeting video.
Other Parts of the Town’s Senior Center Financing Plan
$1Million in UDAG Funds. The town’s senior center financing plan also includes use of $1 million in the town’s UDAG grant, funds that need to be paid back at future Town Meetings.
The Select Board approved this plan on Oct. 21st as the town management explained how the financing would work. Utilizing these funds allows the town to save more than $660,000 estimated in interest over 25 years and $66,478 in the first year. This saves an estimated $16 per average residential tax bill.
The town management presented two potential repayment plans, subject to the availability of Free Cash certified by the state. The Select Board did not vote on an exact payment plan; these were just possible scenarios.
One plan would have the town pay $100,000 per year at Annual Town Meeting for the next 10 years. The second scenario: Make four payments of $250,000 between 2026 and 2029. You can read our recent article and follow the link at the bottom of that page to learn more.
If you attended board and committee meetings over the past year, you may have heard the discussion around a $10 million debt exclusion. The town management recently advised they asked for more in case the town doesn’t receive a Community Development Block Grant due to federal budget cuts. The town has consistently received this grant in the past.
For a summary of the full financing plan, visit ayerseniorcenter.com/faq. Find the “How Much Will It Cost?” section.
Tax Impact
If the town borrows $10 million, residents would pay an average estimated $143 annually in taxes over the next 25 years. If the town has to borrow $11.55 million, residents would pay an average estimated $165 per year. These numbers are based on the current tax rate of $11.96 per $1,000 in value and $550,000 as the median Ayer residential home value (SOURCE: www.ayerseniorcenter.com/faq).
Operating Cost
Residents had questions about many aspects of the building project, including the operating costs for a larger building. According to materials, current operating costs are $250,000 for the center, which is located in the basement of one of the Ayer Housing Authority buildings on Pond Street and has a limited – and very hard-to-use parking lot.
The COA Director and the Town Facilities Director estimated a new center would need a $435,000 estimated operating budget – a $183,000 increase to the estimated omnibus budget. This would represent 1.2 percent of the total town budget.
Of this, operations and maintenance for the new building will cost $108,000. Another $75,000 will be used to hire an additional full-time staff member and cover increases in supplies and services (SOURCE: www.ayerseniorcenter.com/faq/).
How to Vote on $11.55 Debt Exclusion at Ballot Election
On Nov. 4th, you can vote at Town Hall between the hours of noon and 8 pm. If you cannot make the election, you have a few options. Voters can send absentee or mail-in ballots by 5 p.m. on Oct. 28th – or you can vote via absentee ballot in-person at the Town Clerk’s Office at noon on Monday, Nov. 3rd. Visit the Town of Ayer website calendar.
Coverage was published Monday night and updated after the release of the Town Meeting video.