ROCKLAND — City councilors say they have no intention of prioritizing the recreation and community center above the police department (first) and then fire department. But, with taxpayer money flowing into unending emergency repairs of yet another City building, Mayor Adam Lachman is calling for an analysis of the Flanagan Community Center, and along the way, he’s hoping to inspire the Parks and Rec to think bigger. To create a vision based on what’s important to the city in terms of recreation. To make a plan.

Councilors are aiming to vote during the February 9, 2026 City Council meeting on an order authorizing a Conceptual Design, Visioning, and Comparative Analysis of a New Flanagan Community Center. The vote, however, will not be made easily, as questions have arisen regarding whether taxpayer money would be used for the analysis and any architectural renderings. Councilors acknowledge that rec. center plans and visions brought to light by previous councils were ignored, and the idea of future workshops is agreeable by today's councilors.

“Recreation is like a really important investment that the City can make,” said Lachman. “And I think it is really difficult when we see other communities pursue funding opportunities that are not based on their tax base, but it’s only made possible because they had a plan. They had something that they could go out to federal funders or philanthropy or what have you.”

One opposing argument maintains that the City ought to wait and see how those other new sports complexes, specifically the WareHouse Sports Complex being built in Thomaston, affects the public’s continued interest in the Flanagan Community Center.

For Lachman, the analysis begins with vision and priorities, in which the context of recreation is taken into consideration.

“Once you’ve created a vision, then you can go back and say ‘OK, we are going to then go and create a budget and architectural drawing or engineering,’” said Lachman. “But I think until you have a vision, it’s really difficult...you can’t start with the architectural side of things. You don’t even know what the priorities should be.”

The roof and the boiler are concerns. The entire exterior needs replacing. Water infiltration is a continuous problem. Years ago, the City put out a bid for the building envelope (as City Manager Tom Luttrell described it during the Feb. 2 Agenda Setting meeting). However, the City never acted on the bid because it was too expensive and they didn’t want to go out for bond, according to Luttrell.

“So, if we are going to do visioning, we need to actually think seriously about how we are going to protect that building,” said Luttrell, “because right now, every time it rains, they still get water in there.”

Councilor Nicole Kalloch is OK with a vision, as long as it doesn’t involve taxpayer money.

“It was clear to me that the taxpayers didn’t want to fix [the police station],” said Kalloch. “So, it doesn’t sound like if we go to bond [for the Rec Center] it’s probably going to pass.”

According to City Manager Tom Luttrell, a vision analysis falls under the Parks and Recreation Committee, and can be done within the four month timeline stipulated in the order that councilors will vote on during the Feb. 9 meeting. On the other hand, if this study will be used to seek grants, then an architect and engineer will be required in order to provide price points for running the building.

According to Councilor Penny York, a previous Parks and Rec director believed that the Rec building ought to be on the outskirts of the city, abutting the playing fields. The previous Parks and Rec director had put together a proposal for a new building at a cost of $5 million. Councilors agreed that that estimate would be double or triple in today’s market.

To move the Rec Center outside of downtown may actually “kill two birds with one stone,” said Councilor Kaitlin Callahan.

“I think this is a great location,” said Callahan, “and maybe that could be the solution to the police department. “I’m not saying that is the solution (with emphasis on the “is”), but I think this is something to workshop.”

In terms of historical preservation, Councilor Nate Davis requested that the mural in the gymnasium be saved.

“I think fundamentally, it’s liability verses asset,” said Lachman. “What’s the cost of the City maintaining this building, long term, verses the cost of eventually, at some point, trying to find funds that could support either its repairs or its modification….We could be spending a lot of money to maintain an asset that’s just decreasing in terms of its long-term viability.”

ORDER #11 

February 9, 2026 

ORDER: Authorization for Conceptual Design, Visioning, and Comparative Analysis of a New Flanagan Community Center 

WHEREAS, the Flanagan Community Center has served for decades as a cornerstone of Rockland's civic, recreational and social life, providing essential space for youth programs, family activities, senior services, and fostering community connection; and 

WHEREAS, modern recreation infrastructure is a core municipal service that directly supports healthy youth development, lifelong wellness, social connection, and positive outcomes for residents of all ages, and is a defining element of age-friendly communities; and 

WHEREAS, the current Flanagan Community Center no longer meets contemporary standards for capacity, accessibility, safety, energy efficiency, or programmatic flexibility, despite the City's continued allocation of significant annual funding toward emergency repairs and maintenance; and 

WHEREAS, continued reactive investment in an aging facility represents an inefficient use of public resources and limits the City's ability to pursue long-term, cost-effective solutions; and 

WHEREAS, proactive visioning and conceptual design is a fiscally responsible step that does not obligate the City to construction or debt, but is required to competitively pursue state, federal, private, and philanthropic funding opportunities; and 

WHEREAS, many public and philanthropic funding programs require a clearly articulated vision, preliminary design, cost assumptions, and demonstrated community need as prerequisites for eligibility and enhance competitiveness for funding; and 

WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the deep historical significance of the Flanagan Community Center and the strong emotional and cultural connection the community holds to its site, architecture, and role in Rockland's civic life. 

NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AS FOLLOWS: 

THAT The City Manager is hereby authorized and directed to commission a formal "Vision & Plan" for a new community and recreation center located at the existing Flanagan Community Center site; and 

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED: 

THAT the Vision & Plan shall explicitly frame the facility as essential civic and recreation infrastructure supporting: 

Healthy youth development and after-school and summer programming; 

Core municipal services delivered through Parks and Recreation; and Rockland's goals as an inclusive, accessible, and age-friendly community. 

The design specifications for this Vision & Plan shall include: 

* Architectural Continuity: Preservation and integration of the iconic round front facade. 

* Historical Integration: A lobby designed as an "Ode to the Flanagan," developed in direct partnership with the City of Rockland's Historic Preservation Commission and Rockland Historical Society, featuring curated memorabilia and local artifacts related to the building's historic and cultural significance. 

* Heritage Preservation: A technical plan to salvage and reinstall the original gym floor within the new facility to preserve the continuity and "soul" of the community's athletic history. 

* Modern Utility and Accessibility: Expanded, flexible, and fully accessible multi-purpose spaces addressing documented community needs including modern childcare, youth and after-school programming, expanded senior and age-friendly programming, Emergency Warming Center (EWC) services, community meeting space, and energy-efficient building systems; and 

THAT the City Manager shall include, as part of this effort, a comparative analysis of comparable community and recreation facilities in peer municipalities, to assess facility size, programming mix, accessibility features, capital costs, operating models, partnerships, and funding strategies, and to identify best practices that improve financial sustainability and leverage outside investment; and 

THAT the development of this plan and comparative analysis shall incorporate direct feedback and consultation from the Parks and Recreation Director and the Parks and Recreation Committee to ensure alignment with community needs and operational realities today and in the future; and 

THAT the City Manager shall ensure this "Vision & Plan" and comparative analysis to the City Council within 4 months of the passage of this order; and 

THAT this plan will serve as the City's official, non-binding visioning and planning document to: Position Rockland to competitively pursue state, federal, private, and philanthropic funding; 

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Support future grant applications, partnerships, and capital campaigns; and 

Reduce long-term reliance on local tax dollars by maximizing external investment in essential community infrastructure. 

Sponsors: Councilor Callahan & Mayor Lachman

Originators: Councilor Callahan & Mayor Lachman 

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