Frederick Van Magness: A grand opportunity in Moultonborough

To The Daily Sun,

Last week Moultonborough learned that our Select Board has negotiated with Huggins Hospital to acquire the Taylor property in order to expand operations with a new 8,500-10,000 square foot medical services facility. There is no denying that an expanded medical facility with new jobs is the ultimate best use for Taylor. There are only two viable options…sell the Taylor or keep it.

Despite aggressive efforts to sell the Taylor property, potential buyers have walked away, one unwilling to commit the enormous funds (+/- million) needed to rehabilitate the building. It is hard to envision any business willing to invest that much for an uncertain return.

Huggins understands the underserved health needs of our community and the surrounding area. It is driving their need for expansion. What better use of the Taylor property than a local health care facility which will potentially serve every resident and visitor? Many communities would gladly sell property for a dollar to incentivize a medical expansion to better serve the health needs of all while providing good-paying jobs and the potential for people with children to relocate to town, bolstering ongoing declining school enrollment numbers.

Our town does not have a solid track record of maintaining existing facilities, and retaining ownership to the Taylor  property will be no different. Consider what has happened to the Lions Club facility, States Landing, or Lee’s Mills, current properties the town has allowed to deteriorate over time. Look at deterioration issues with the Historical Society building or even the former Grange. We do not spend money on maintaining properties. Should we add the Taylor to that inventory? Keeping it would also continue the longstanding debate on a community center/gym. Over the last 10 years voters have not agreed to the need for such a costly investment, regardless of scope or location. And now, with skyrocketing building material costs, it is easy to envision any future project costing many millions more than previous proposed options. How much time and money have we wasted over the years on a community center concept? Why spend hundreds of thousands more of tax money on plans and testing for the Taylor with no community consensus when we have an extraordinary offer from Huggins?

The Huggins offer is a solid reality. It provides the opportunity to receive expanded healthcare services right here in town, without the need to drive to Laconia, Plymouth or Wolfeboro. If the proposal fails Saturday, Huggins will vacate their existing building and consolidate operations elsewhere. We will lose this health care expansion opportunity bringing new jobs and enhancing other local businesses.  Instead, we’ll have another vacant building.

Please vote YES on Huggins, just like our entire Board of Selectmen has vigorously done.

Frederick Van Magness

Moultonborough