Contributed
An illustration showing what the interior of a new senior center on Ansonia’s Main Street could look like.
DERBY— Senior citizens from both Derby and Ansonia weighed in Thursday on whether the neighboring cities should join forces for a shared senior center, and most agreed it’s a good idea.
About 25 people joined the meeting virtually via Zoom, and another 50 or so attended in person at Derby Middle School, where Derby Mayor Richard Dziekan and the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen played host.
Ansonia hosted a similar forum in June, but Derby’s legislative body wanted to have a forum on their home turf, too. Ansonia is redeveloping a building at 65 Main St. into a police department. There’s plenty of extra room inside. The city wants to put a new senior center inside the building, and invited Derby to join.
The two cities have been talking about a joint senior center for a decade.
The decision to merge senior centers with Ansonia is up to the Aldermen & Alderwomen in each city.
At the end of the 90-minute meeting, Derby didn’t make a decision to join forces, but assured the crowd their voices had been heard and they will discuss specifics, legalities, costs and everything else that would come along with the merger before a vote is taken.
Many who spoke at the meeting voiced support for the merger, with some Derby seniors saying the current condition of Derby’s Senior Center, and the nearby municipal parking garage, makes partnering with Ansonia a no-brainer.
“The Derby Senior Center is the pits,” said Jan Mann, of Derby. “Seniors are walking into a parking garage that is in dire need of repair. There’s only one spot to drop off a handicapped person. This is the best opportunity for Derby to combine with Ansonia so we have a better center with more opportunities. Derby’s the smallest city in Connecticut and we don’ have the land or property to do any of this stuff.”
Rosemary Benanto Holzer, of Derby, told people “to wake up” and get onboard with the merger.“If we had this joint center, we won’t have to go to Oxford or Shelton,” she said. “If you’re thinking you’re going to get (a new center) in Derby, you’re not. We don’t have anything in this city for what we pay for in taxes. Let’s wake up and let’s start doing something.”
Derby looked into the former VARCA building a few years back as a potential new center, and even had conversations with Ansonia to join, but opted to sell the property to a business in order to get it renovated and back on the tax rolls.
Derby’s share of the senior center project would be about $300,000 up front, plus annual costs.
Mike Marcinek, CFO of AEPMI Designs & Building Consultants in Ansonia, estimated that if Derby built its own new center, it would cost more like $3 million. Upgrading the current Derby Senior Center on Main Street would cost about $500,000.
The Dziekan administration hopes to get Derby’s $300,000 upfront back by selling the existing senior center.
Marcinek walked the audience through a virtual Power Point tour of the new facility that’s going to be built at 65 Main St. in Ansonia, where it will share space with a brand new Ansonia Police Department.Ansonia
Economic Development Director Sheila O’Malley said bids for the project have been submitted and one should be awarded soon by the (Ansonia) Board of Aldermen. Marcinek anticipates the new center could open by the end of the year, whether Derby jumps onboard or not.
Marcinek said the 8,500-square-foot facility would boast, in part, a 3,000 square-foot open space for Bingo, lunches, large gatherings and more; multi-purpose room with glass dividing partition to make it smaller or larger as needed; administrative offices; large kitchen, access to gym facilities shared with police, a computer room card lounge, arts and crafts room and plenty more.
The main entrance would be at 65 Main St., with an elevator to take seniors to third floor of the four-story former Farrel Corp. building. The elevator, while shared with those who need to access the police department, would not be used to transport prisoners, Marcinek said, there would be a separate elevator far from the senior center for prisoners only.
In an interview with The Valley Indy in June, the Ansonia police union president came out against the idea, saying putting senior citizens within a police facility was dangerous.
Derby Alderman Rob Hyder said it’s clear seniors want to see the merger happen.“It makes complete sense based on how our senior center and parking garage are falling apart,” Hyder said.
Alderman and Derby Democratic Mayoral candidate Joe DiMartino said the issue is not a political one for him.
“We’re here to listen to you, we heard you loud and clear, give us the time now to hash it out amongst us and give us time to work it out and get it done for you,” DiMartino said.
Alderwoman Barbara DeGennaro said she’s concerned about future expenses, and urged her fellow board members to look into the Opniak Property off Sodom Lane as a potential site for a new Derby senior center.
“I respect the vision, but visions cost money and we’re certainly, as a board, going to look at this cost, not just the initial capital dollar money,” she said.
Dziekan said the merger makes sense in every possible way.
“We need a safe place for you guys, the most precious gems of our community,” Dziekan said. “Imagine what it will be like then getting into the senior center (with the upcoming Route 34 project)? You know I’m very pro joining centers. You’re going to have more events, more Bingo, more programs, more opportunities to do what you want to do in a safe environment.”
