Location, size and the cost to build or renovate the current Town House continue to be among residents’ concerns. The Town House Building Committee held a public forum on Jan. 26 to hear and respond to some of these questions.

Committee Chair Bob Raymond presented the detailed plans for each of the Town House options, including cost per square foot and cost comparisons to other similar projects.

Through a series of studies and research, the committee came up with five options: a $12 million complete renovation, an $8.5 million renovation that would remove the back annex on the building and move three departments to the town-owned Atlantis Drive facility, a $9.6 million renovation that got rid of the annex and added an addition for meeting space, an $8.1 million “3A” option that did not add an addition, and lastly the $9.1 million option to construct a new building on the VFW property or a different site.

Residents had more questions about the cost, specifically Joe McDonough, who asked if it could be made a single story building to save costs on elevators and stairs.

Raymond said he had inquired about a one-story building but found it would not save money.

“It actually costs more to build one- story versus two because there is more foundation needed, more site needed, more roofing,” he said. “That stuff outweighs the savings of stairs and elevators.”

Many residents questioned how much space was really needed for the Town House to operate.

The amount of square footage varies from the 17,559 square foot $12 million renovation to the 11,225 square foot $8.1 million 3A option.

To come up with these numbers, Raymond said he and his team met with each of the town departments to ask about needs.

He met with Town Administrator Paul Dawson to confirm those needs, then went back to the departments a second time to ask the department heads to scale back their requests.

In addition to the needs of the departments, Raymond said state regulations had to be considered. For instance, hallways have to be wide enough for two wheelchairs to pass by each other.

Amid all the discussion about the cost and size of the project, a few residents spoke about their desire to preserve the historic building and to keep the Town House functions in the Village instead of at the VFW property on Route 6.

“The Village center makes Marion special,” committee member Bill Saltonstall said. “In years past we worked hard to keep the post office in town, and I think its even more important to work to keep the town offices here.”

Former Selectman Jon Henry also spoke up and said that he thinks the Town House needs to remain in the Village.

“When this began a long time ago, I was personally in favor of a new building...but my stipulation was that the new building be on the ball field [behind the Town House],” he said. “The townspeople handed me my head when I suggested that. We really should look at the new building alternative because the money is a sticking issue, but I would put the VFW off limits. This new building has got to be here.”

He said it would be “morally dishonest” not to fully cost and evaluate that option.

For whichever property is not chosen, Leon Navickas wanted to know how it could be used and if it could turn a profit for the town.

Raymond answered that the Town House would have to be sold if they built at the VFW property, but realistically he couldn’t see it making the town a lot of money.

“The Town House isn’t a real asset,” he said. “Fairhaven has two old buildings and they’re having a hard time getting rid of them. I don’t think it’s a slam dunk...”

However, Navickas clarified that he was thinking the other way around.

“I was actually thinking the VFW property would be more valuable,” he said. In their donation of the VFW, the Benjamin D. Cushing Post members requested that it be used for the Council on Aging as a senior center/community center.

However, Dawson said there was no deed restriction on the property so technically the town could sell it. No one was thrilled with that idea.

“I think it would be a huge kick in the face to the post to sell that property,” Finance Committee Chair Alan Minard said.

A handful of people, including Minard and Finance Committee Chair Robert Lane, also spoke up about the new

construction option. They all felt that not enough time and money had been put forth to explore that option thoroughly.

“A lot of people in the community who have experience in this business strongly believe that the alternative deserves independent review and that a possibility exists that meaningful savings could be made from that analysis,” Lane said. “It might not save money, but without taking the time and money to look into it we’ll never know. Not enough information exists to make a reasonable decision.”

In order to explore the new construction option any more, the committee would have to get more money from Town Meeting. The existing funds from the Community Preservation Act are appropriated and earmarked restricted to only exploring renovations to the Town House.

Resident John Waterman said the VFW property gives the town a new choice, and that a new Town House could be built on the baseball field on Main Street and new fields built on the VFW site.