Montpelier's indoor recreation feasibility study is getting underway — come and meet the lead consultant, this Thursday, 5:30-7PM in the high school library.
*Why should I come?* If you have an interest in shaping Montpelier's plans for an indoor recreation facility, this is a great chance to provide your input. If you have questions about different possibilities and scenarios, this visiting consultant is extremely knowledgeable. Ken Ballard is president and co-founder of Ballard*King Associates. He's been doing feasibility and follow-up studies for towns and facilities all over the country for more than 25 years (including the one that led to Claremont NH's community center). If you have any questions about what has worked and what has not for communities all around the country, he's the person to ask.
*Is this my only chance to provide input?* No. There will be a larger public meeting a couple months from now. You might be contacted as a randomly selected respondent in a survey study that will be conducted later this fall. You can also talk with your city councillor, contact the Jump and Splash VT volunteer group through their website, write a letter to the editor, etc.. What's nice about this meeting, though, is that it's early in the process and it'll probably be a pretty small gathering.
*What is this feasibility study, anyway?* A feasibility study is a rigorous approach to working out what indoor recreation facilities Montpelier (and surrounding communities) want and need, and what facilities they can sustain. Future facilities may or may not entail a new building, but a feasibility study focuses on operating costs, not building costs. Building costs are large, but they are finite. Operating costs go on and on, so the first task is to work out what operations can be sustained by memberships, participation fees, rental and other income. A feasibility study pulls together demographic, economic and survey data as well as conversations with all potential stakeholders and collaborators, to work out the most viable scenarios. There are more planning and decision-making steps after a feasibility study. To learn more—come to the meeting!
*How long will the study take?* A final report is expected fairly early in the new year.
Dec 22, 2024, 3:30 to 4:30 PM
Online Auction & Kids Skating Event for the Land TrustDec 22, 2024, 7 to 9 PM
Christmas Faith & Fitness Class at Trapp Family LodgeDec 28, 2024, 10:30 to 11:30 AM