I made a mistake. I thought that there was a plan for renovating the Marbletown Community Center (MCC). I thought that the problem was funding the operation. A year later I have learned that there was no plan. It’s hard to admit a mistake, but mistakes can be corrected – mine and those of the Town Board.

In 2019 Marbletown posted an assessment of town properties on their website: (https://www.marbletown.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4666/f/news/18164_town_of_marbletown_report.pdf). Undoubtedly, the MCC needed attention. By 2023, discussions about whether to address these concerns or sell the building surfaced. In the 10/23 issue of the Shawangunk Journal, Town Supervisor Rich Parete is quoted as saying, “The building is in need of extensive repairs… (and) is still waiting for a report from the Town Engineer, Scott Davis of Peak Engineering, which would outline the needed repairs and their costs…I want the building to stay but if repairs come in over $400,000, I don’t want to keep it.”

From such conversations, I and others believed that the cost of the renovation was keeping the town from moving forward with the work. In an enthusiastic effort to help defray renovation costs, a grass-roots committee was formed to raise funds. At the 10/23 meeting a check for over $15,000 was presented to the town board.

But $15K out of perhaps $500,000 needed for repairs, was not much of a “carrot.” To help increase the size of that carrot, I and others, most notably Tom Konrad, energy expert and head of the Environmental Conservation Commission, wrote and were awarded a significant grant from Partners for Climate Action. Our goal was to help save the building and use it as a model for green energy upgrades. I assumed – and the grant reflected the fact that -- the town was ready to proceed with repairs of the building’s roof and foundation. Once that work was complete, the grant money we received would cover the cost of insulation, heating and cooling. “A pretty sweet carrot,” I reasoned. Money in the town’s coffers and a project – due to be completed within a year – Nice!

A few seemingly minor issues remained, e.g. whether to remove a part of the building that was not being used. With that in mind, I invited a couple of friends with architectural and construction experience to tour the facility with me. Their observations about water problems and mismatched roof connections and the cost of dumpsters made my head spin. Were there big problems I was unaware of? Still, we heard nothing from the Town about plans to move forward. Moreover, the Town Board did not respond to my requests – both in person and in emails – for assigning a project manager, i.e. someone who would understand construction needs, provide a calendar, and plans for the renovation and keep the community updated.

Back to the mistake: A full year after the grant was awarded, none of us – the Town Board, the PTRC, or the community – has sufficient information to make thoughtful recommendations about next steps. What if, for example, the town allocates significant funds to fix the current structure and midway through the project we run into problems that would significantly drive up the cost? Such an event leaves us with only two alternatives: throw more money at the project or unload the building. Neither alternative is good. Are there other options? To date the conversation has been framed as a binary – fix it or don’t fix it, sell it or don’t sell it.

As a resident of the town, I value the historical importance of the MCC and strongly believe that we need a centrally located, welcoming space for large, indoor events. Parks and Recreation is ready to promote more programming at the MCC but at present, the building is closed, ostensibly for repairs. But we’re not fools! As a taxpayers and a good shoppers, we remain worried about “throwing good money after bad.”

Is it too late to fix our mistake while we fix the building? We don’t think so. Let’s begin again with the help of architects and designers who know how to look at a building structurally and in terms of its uses. Let’s – as a community – come up with a plan that can be rolled out over time and is economically feasible. We need a plan that is based on community input, not a simple referendum or a Town Board vote based on imagined costs. We need realistic, detailed estimates. We need a realistic, proposed calendar.

With this in mind, I propose that the Parks and Recreation Committee be charged with taking the lead in such an effort. And that the PTRC committee reports regularly to the community and the Board. Our goal would be to gather information from diverse audiences: to listen actively and systematically to community concerns and perspectives about the building's significance and its future potential. We will arrange meetings, surveys, walking tours, focus groups and online forums as well as workshops and presentations. Let’s ask questions, gather data and share insights. A two-month window for this information gathering seems adequate.

Feedback AND the careful assessment of the structure’s assets and problems can be used by experts who know how to build something beautiful and functional – persons who can provide alternatives and help us make informed decisions. We need to identify local experts who are open in their thinking and open to feedback. And we need a Town Board that listens.

In short, it is time to reestablish trust. It is time to recognize our mistakes and begin again.