The long debate over what to do with a landmark in downtown Littleton may finally be resolved this year.
For years, residents have been arguing back and forth over the fate of the town's historic opera house.
On Tuesday voters will debate the issue one last time at the deliberative town meeting.
NHPR correspondent Todd Wellington has the story.
FOR NEARLY THREE YEARS - THE FATE OF A 110 YEAR-OLD BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF COTTAGE AND UNION STREETS HAS DOMINATED LOCAL POLITICS IN LITTLETON.
THERE MAY NOT BE MUCH AGREEMENT ON WHAT THE BUILDING SHOULD BECOME.
BUT AN UNSCIENTIFIC POLL OUTSIDE THE TOWN POST OFFICE LAST WEEK SEEMS TO INDICATE AGREEMENT ON WHAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.
TAPE: I hate to see old interesting architect blow away….I would just like to see it renovated where it is …leave it where it is right now….It's a beautiful building it has a lot of worth and I think it's important to keep downtown so that there is a vital downtown….that's what you see when you come in…that's what you see on tv or on anything that shows up. They always show the opera house first.
THE LITTLETON OPERA HOUSE WAS - UNTIL RECENTLY - PART PERFORMANCE HALL, PART HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM AND PART POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
BUT LAST YEAR THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE RULED THE BUILDING UNSAFE DUE TO FIRE CODE VIOLATIONS AND STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS.
THE PERFORMANCE HALL WAS CLOSED.
AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MOVED TO THE OLD LITTLETON REGIONAL HOSPITAL BUILDING.
IN THE MEANTIME, THE BUILDING HAS SAT VACANT WHILE RESIDENTS DECIDE HOW TO SAVE IT.
AND WHETHER ITS NEW TENANTS WOULD INCLUDE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
BACK TO OUR UNSCIENTIFIC POLL IN FRONT OF THE POST OFFICE.
TAPE: (TW) do you think the police depart should be in that building or somewhere else? I think it should be somewhere else where they can grow. They need the room….It would be alright if they stayed where they are but if they want to move to the opera house where they had been located for as long as I can remember, I wouldn't be for it or against it. …..I think they should stay in that location, it was not very good or useful the way it was….I think money is definitely involved and that has to be considered with everyone's voice being heard.
FOR THREE YEARS THE TOWN HAS FAILED TO PASS BOND ARTICLES AIMED AT EITHER RENOVATING THE OPERA HOUSE OR BUILDING A NEW POLICE STATION ELSEWHERE.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT IS EXPECTED THIS YEAR BROUGHT BY A GROUP OF CITIZENS.
THE WARRANT CALLS FOR A 2.9 MILLION-DOLLAR RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING THAT WOULD INCLUDE SPACE FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ONE OF THE PROPOSAL’S MOST VOCAL SUPPORTERS IS FRANK PORFIDO-JUNIOR.
HE OWNS ANOTHER DOWNTOWN LANDMARK - PORFIDO’S MARKET ON MAIN STREET.
without a question, the best bang for the buck is going to be to fix it and use it. Put all of our town offices, the historical society and the police department and retain the use of the beautiful opera house and maintain the character of Main STreet. If it's not repaired, it's either going to fall down or be torn down and that would be a terrible loss.
BUT THERE IS SIGNIFICANT OPPOSITION TO THAT PLAN - MOST NOTABLY FROM TOWN OFFICIALS
TOWN MANAGER JASON HOCH SAYS THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY IT WILL NOT WORK.
AND HE POINTS OUT THAT THE SELECTBOARD, THE POLICE CHIEF, THE TOWN CLERK AND THE TOWN TAX COLLECTOR HAVE ALL PUBLICLY OPPOSED IT.
We too would like to save the opera house, after all it's a symbol of the community and something that a lot of people feel strongly about. Our problem is the plan that's been proposed fails to adequately handle any of the uses of the building. There's not enough space for the police department as it exists now. So there's no place for that department to grow. It totally guts all of the support areas for the the performance space, no backstage, no dressing rooms, no storage, and it's trying to do too much in that building.
IN ADDITION TO THAT WARRANT ARTICLE, TOWN OFFICIALS WANT TO TAKE A STRAW POLL ON THE OPERA HOUSE'S FUTURE.
VOTERS WILL BE ASKED WHETHER IT SHOULD BE TORN-DOWN, SOLD, RENOVATED IN ITS PRESENT LOCATION, OR MOVED BACK FROM THE ROAD AND RENOVATED.
FOR N-H-P-R NEWS I’M TODD WELLINGTON
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