SUNDERLAND — With the South County Senior Center’s future home being narrowed down to two locations soon, the center held an open house Wednesday morning to solicit feedback.

Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately residents were invited to the South County Senior Center to check out some preliminary concepts of building footprints and speak with representatives from edmStudio, the architecture firm tasked with putting together the feasibility study.

Local residents got a chance to stop by three stations at the Senior Center, where they got an overview of the three potential sites of the center, shared what aspects they like and don’t like at the center, and weighed in on some physical features and how programs can use those spaces. The three sites explored in the feasibility study were the South Deerfield Congregational Church, the Whately Town Offices and the former Sinauer Associates/Oxford University Press building at 23 Plumtree Road in Sunderland.

“I prefer South Deerfield because it’s centrally located,” said South Deerfield resident Fran York. “You can take care of your errands while you’re in town.”

Sunderland resident Carol Ryan said she is indifferent about which location the center moves to, as long as the space can accommodate the extensive programming the South County Senior Center offers.

“Enough of a flexible space that a number of activities can go on at once,” Ryan said, emphasizing the need for an exercise space. “Flexibility has to be part of it.”

South Deerfield resident Melissa Perot said the center should be based in Deerfield, underlining the need for the space to be a true “intergenerational” community center to encourage socialization among everyone in town.

“Seniors don’t need to be separated any more than kindergartners,” Perot said. “We’re so desperately in need of community. … It’s not about being a senior, it’s about being a community member.”

At one of the stations, which laid out what residents like and don’t like about the Senior Center, attendees noted there was confusion about where programs and activities were taking place due to the shifting of locations and that they feel seniors are not a priority for the towns.

As the process moves forward, residents continued to emphasize the need for a permanent home for the South County Senior Center. The Senior Center has been without a permanent home since the 1888 Building closed due to the pandemic and never reopened due to the presence of contaminants in the building. Other locations over the years have included a tent outside the 1888 Building, the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in South Deerfield and its current space at 22 Amherst Road in Sunderland.

“We’ve been waiting decades,” York said. “They’re making an effort, but it seems the progress is pretty slow.”

Deerfield Selectboard and Senior Center Board of Oversight member Trevor McDaniel acknowledged progress has been slow for years on finding the seniors a home, but he said by phone that this feasibility study will lay out exactly what the three towns can expect for costs. Then it is up to the towns and residents to act on those recommendations.

“I think we have been spinning wheels for years because it’s an item that is hard for a community to come up with that money to build,” he said, emphasizing it is harder to galvanize a community to spend tax money on a senior center compared to something like a school. “Residents that really want to spend this ton of money on a senior center need to come to the Selectboards and Finance Committees this year and demand it.”

Once published, McDaniel said the feasibility study will lay out exactly what the center needs, as well as an estimate of costs. From there, he said the three towns will work together to figure out a path forward and all three communities will need to band together to advocate for funding.

“I think this feasibility study will make it really clear to the community what the [financial] ask is going to be and what the costs and needs are,” he added. “Then they can decide what they want to do about it. … It will be wide out and open to them.”

The South County Senior Center Board of Oversight will meet on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m. at the Senior Center to discuss the feasibility study and choose two locations to take a deeper look at. A remote viewing option will be available.