Tax-free Community Center proposed for Hillsborough

 This article was written by Michael Pons and was published in Stone Bridge Post Friday, July 5, 2019

Hillsborough resident Becky Johnson is on the selectmen’s agenda this coming Tuesday July 9 at 6:45 p.m. to present her proposal to provide a multi-purpose Community Center complete with an indoor pool. Her idea is to separate the various aspect of the center into modules and finance them with grants and donations that would be aimed at those particular items. Johnson has created a website at www.hccnh.org where a survey and a newsletter subscription can be found. The following is a summary of Johnson’s proposal:

I am in the planning stages of creating a nonprofit community center for our town. There have been many previous failed attempts, but I am approaching the project from a different angle. I have a modular plan to create a space for seniors, youth, families, and anyone who wants to use it. The Hillsborough Community Center will serve the residents of Hillsborough, New Hampshire and surrounding towns, and will operate following these core values: integrity, unity, and inclusiveness. The vision of the Center is to help provide opportunities for residents to improve their health, education, and well-being, and will be a place that visitors feel is welcoming, safe, and accessible to all. The Center will offer multi-generational programs to address the varied needs of our community.
The Center will feature an indoor pool, community garden, banquet hall, a professional kitchen, and much more. I am exploring potential building sites and funding opportunities for each module such as grants, bequests, and donations (not taxpayer dollars!) with help from our local Greater Hillsborough Senior Services. Because the Center will be based on a modular plan, each area will have distinct funding sources.

The modules of the Center include:
Community Garden
• A space where citizens and garden club groups can learn about horticulture, insects, and wildlife in NH
• Plant a plot
• Learn how to capture rainwater and use it to sustain your garden
• Cultivate plants … and friendships
• Harvested vegetables can be donated to the food pantry or meal programs

Banquet Facilities
• Auditorium to serve 200 − 400
• Senior and youth programs
• Rentable space for weddings, corporate, and large-scale events
• Musicians, theatre troupes, dance recitals
• Local group activity space

Exercise Opportunities
(no matter what the weather)
• Child and adult playground
• ndoor walking track
• Indoor basketball court/game space
• Indoor swimming pool, which can be used for classes or events including swim meets and parties
• Exercise programs such as Zumba, dance classes, yoga, Tai Chi
• Locker rooms

Classroom & Meeting Space
• Educational courses
• Test proctoring
• Corporate and town meetings

Professional Kitchen
• Food service for events
• Cooking classes
• Rental by entrepreneurs for an “Incubator Kitchen”
• Processing center for the harvest from the Community Garden

A community center will provide vital infrastructure to the town. While some residents may not support civic projects, this community space will be vital to the success of:

Businesses – the Center will support training and will be an available extension of meeting space; it will attract people from all over the state and beyond who wish to rent the facility, thus providing for exposure to local businesses.
Families – Right now, families and youth are leaving Hillsborough. There is no reason to stay, and there’s not much to do. When residents are engaged and feel they have a stake in their community, they will be more likely to stay, buy property, and support local businesses.
Seniors and Youth – While we have many groups in the area that support seniors and youth, these groups are often left without a venue to meet or conduct regular activities. The Center will provide much-needed meeting space and many activities that support exercise, education, and well-being.

I’ve developed a business plan, and I have experience with grant writing, so the bones of this project are being put into place. If you’d like to volunteer or be a member of the steering committee, I’d like to hear from you. I’ve created a survey and website at www.hccnh.org if you’d like to learn more and become involved.