By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — For nearly 40 years the Hillview Enterprise has been a golden goose for the town. Since it was taken by eminent domain in 1988, the town has been able to preserve the open space at the Hillview Golf course while protecting the aquifer beneath it and preventing a very large condominium project or subdivision from being built there.
With the proceeds from any profits of running a municipal golf course and function hall required to be earmarked for improvements to the site or for the preservation of other parcels of land and recreational activities in the community, the town was able to create Ipswich River Park in the mid-1990s and the turf field at the High School’s Arthur J. Kenney Field about 15 years ago, to name a few projects.
In total, Hillview Commissioner Lou DiFronzo told the Select Board Monday night, the town has benefited from at least $19M spent on such projects from Hillview Enterprise funds.
But now the Commissioners are faced with bringing a major decision to the voters at June Town Meeting — they are proposing the need to demolish the function hall sooner rather than later.
It is a decision that was not arrived at easily. But the roof of the building leaks like a sieve and has for years. To replace it would cost over $2M — and there is not guarantee it could even be done correctly as it there are multiple roofs on the building, parts of which are several hundred years old. And it is not just the roof that leaks. Water seeps in from the ground as well and has for years.
Even though Town Meeting approved the roof expenditure last year, after studying the building during this past year, they don’t believe they can spend such a sum in good conscience as it is not the best use of the funds.
DiFronzo said the easy decision would be to repair the roof but they are now proposing the difficult but prudent decision to change course.
Hillview Commission Chairman George Stack, who has served on the commission since the beginning, when the eminent domain study process began around 1986, said he was the last holdout as the building is a part of him. He said fellow commissioner Chuck Carucci is the guy they call in the middle of the night or during functions whenever water emergencies occur at the function hall.
But the reality is that the rent they receive from the function hall does not cover the expense of keeping the building operational. Stack said the last function hall operator sank $1M into the building and the Commission spent $300,000 on a kitchen in the pub, which he said he will never get over. But that manager, Nick Yebba, had to walk away when he could not make it profitable, especially during Covid. The current tenant, Ultra Chic, holds many successful functions and events at the Hillview but the rent collected from their use of the facility does not cover expenses incurred by the Enterprise.
In this change of course, the Commissioners are proposing to have the building demolished, landscape the area and temporarily rent a trailer for the Commission’s office space. They would then build a small office over the patio area where the golf carts are stored underneath.
Doing so would make the cart area weather tight, which would protect the carts that now get damaged by water. DiFronzo said the plan includes putting solar panels on the roof of this new office. Doing so would enable them to retire their gas-powered carts and invest in electric carts that could be charged utilizing the solar power being generated onsite.
Upgrades would also be done for the current Pro Shop on site and eventually they would like to have some type of concessions available for the golfers.
They estimate the demolition would need between $800,000 and $1M to raze the building and start this work.
If the voters at June Town Meeting approve this warrant article the bond for the roof would be rescinded.
After a long discussion with the Select Board, the Hillview Commission’s request to include this as a warrant article was approved.
The Hillview Commission will hold a public hearing on the warrant article next Thursday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. in Room 14 at Town Hall. They encourage the public to attend and learn more about how they arrived at this decision and how the Hillview Enterprise itself works. Stack described the stewardship of the enterprise as “fragile,” adding that it is time for the younger generation to become involved in the decisions that keep the Hillvew Golf Course viable and to ascertain the future projects that the Hillview Enterprise will fund to benefit future generations.