Members of the Little Compton Commons Review Committee have until Thursday, April 24 to forward their suggestions for possible alternative ideas for the Odd Fellows building and the Fire Barn to the town council, in advance of two Town Meeting votes on the matter planned for May. Last week, members got a host of ideas from residents on what else could become of the buildings.

The committee was formed last month out of discussions about a plan to lease parts of the Odd Fellows Hall and the fire barn to Church Community Housing. If it comes to pass, four or five affordable senior dwelling units would be split between the two buildings, and senior center space would be provided in the Odd Fellows building, with a community room in the fire barn.

At last week’s meeting, residents had plenty of ideas.

West Main Road resident Anne Ransom asked committee members why town officials are in such a rush to get the project done in the first place, saying the issue has split the town in half. Committee member Gary Mataronas told her that both buildings need work, and the state fire marshal recently ruled that the Odd Fellows needs a proper sprinkler system on its second floor, to be considered habitable. For those reasons and others, he said, the town started looking in other directions for the buildings' future.

Fellow member Travis Auty described next month's warrant articles as feasibility studies — “It's going to be very calculated, very deliberate, and very much talked about not only by the people in this room but by the stakeholders as well.”

Brandon Pineo, an outspoken opponent of the  plan due to his belief that the town should honor the original agreement with the Odd Fellows, suggested a complex that would combine both the Odd Fellows building and the fire barn with the Community Center, while maintaining the buildings’ historical charm. Donna Pilkington, a community center board member, also liked the idea of connecting the buildings while acknowledging issues with the community center building as well.

“You should address issues such as not enough kitchen space to provide lunches,” she said. She also said the town should come up with a good plan to connect all three buildings, calling for an independent study.

“Let’s hire a firm that can come up with a good, comprehensive plan,” she said.