WOOLWICH

An overwhelming majority of residents polled recently support an addition and renovation to the Municipal Building, the town’s Building Committee chairman said.

Dana Lindsey said the committee has collected more than 300 surveys — 282 from Election Day.

The committee is studying the results and comments, and will reveal them during a 7 p.m. public hearing on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at the school. The committee will meet at the school at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

“We got a good number of responses back,” Lindsey said. “We’re in the process of assembling that information and getting ready for the public hearing.”

Both plans would include an addition to the town office area of the building, which is adjacent to the fire station.

Plan A, at a cost of $850,000, would provide for a meeting space of 50 to 75 people adequate for meetings, Lindsey said.

Plan B would accommodate 200 to 250 people, for $1 million. Such a space would accommodate gatherings such as the annual town meeting, elections and community events, he said.

Both proposals would provide for badly needed new space in the town office, he said.

“They’re tripping over each other in there,” Lindsey said. “From our needs assessment that we did initially, we looked at the building we have, what’s being utilized and interviewed the town employees. The committee has determined, basically, that something needs to be done.”

The Nov. 6 poll was conducted at Woolwich Central School, which has much more space in its gymnasium.

Lindsey said the annual town meeting has not been held in the town office section of the Municipal Building since it was built in 1980. Last year, he said, the town moved fire trucks out of the fire station bays, set up chairs and held the town meeting in the fire station. The year before, it was held at the old Nequasset Meetinghouse.

Architect David Matero devised the renovation plans.

After the Dec. 5 public hearing, Lindsey said the committee will work through January to formulate a recommendation to the Board of Selectmen. The hope is that a plan will go from there to voters during the annual town meeting in May.

lgrard@timesrecord.com