At a town meeting last Friday, residents of Lyme voted unanimously to lift the cap on donations to the proposed town hall and library building project. The change allows the selectmen to accept donations of any size without approval at a town meeting. The limit for all other donations remains at the former amount of $10,000.
The change in regulations is the first step in a fundraising effort connected to the proposed expanded town hall and new library. The project addresses two municipal buildings that are approaching the end of their usable lives and meets the town’s needs for the next 30 years.
The historic church, which is part of the current town hall, will be restored and become a meeting room for up to 100 people.
A new library will be built to make the best use of the property, improve parking and traffic flow, and create a new town green. Expanding the library will also provide much needed community meeting and programs rooms as well as space for the Lyme Local History Archives which are currently housed in the basement of the Lyme Public Hall.
The Lyme Board of Selectmen approved the conceptual design on Oct. 17 of this year and the project will go to referendum in April 2012. The preliminary cost estimate based on the conceptual design is $4.7 million.
The tentative date for ground breaking is spring 2013.
Anyone interested in making a donation should contact First Selectman Ralph Eno at 860 434-7733.
More information and drawings are available on the committee blog at this link.