LIVERMORE — University students toured the Town Office and Brettuns Community Building on Monday, taking measurements at each site.

Associate Professor of Architecture Eric Stark and his upper level studio design class from the University of Maine at Augusta were on a mission.

They plan to create a design to revitalize the Community Building by updating it while maintaining its historic integrity, town Administrative Assistant Kurt Schaub said.

The Community Building on Church Street was built in 1915. It is not on a historic register, he said. The Community Building is no longer used for official town functions, and hasn’t been in several years because of it not being in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Highway Department garage is on the site and the town’s library is across the road.

Part of the update to the Community Building is to make it compliant with the ADA, make it more energy efficient and in general, more user-friendly, and secure, Schaub said.

Students will also try to configure a new structure at the site, an addition, that would serve as town office space.

The current Town Office on Crash Road was built in 1984, and the space there is not as large or as secure as needed.

Anybody wanting to look at tax maps or property cards has to go behind the counter and walk by the clerks, who are conducting financial transactions over the counter with residents and members of the public, Schaub said.

“The area is supposed to be secure,” he said. “It would also be very nice if our code enforcement officer could have his own office where he could meet with people without being interrupted by people who need to look at tax maps.”

College students were also asked, if they could, to incorporate a fireproof area that is 50 percent larger than the existing one, into a new town office.

The town is supposed to keep numerous documents but not all of them fit, he said.

Students have also been advised to keep in mind that the town is of modest means and any plan should reflect that, Schaub said.

“I think its fantastic that the kids are getting an experience to enhance their knowledge,” he said. “If we had to hire that knowledge, it would cost thousands.”

Stark had previously sent out mailings looking for sites that his students could design spaces as a service project. Schaub said he followed up on it and has been corresponding with Stark for a year.

During the walk through the town office, Schaub, Town Clerk Renda Libby and administrative clerk Jean Tardif talked with students and Stark about what is working and what is not working. Besides security and cramped quarters, they would like to see organized space for literature people drop off, two counter openings to operate two work stations, larger storage spaces and more public room to stand, the clerks said.

Stark said his class is 7 1/2 weeks. The idea is to try and open up the conversation to let people know the potential of the Community Building, he said.

It is the first time they will work from start to finish with the community on a project.

If the Community Building were more user-friendly more people would probably use it, Schaub said.

It would give people a space to meet when the Town Office is closed and at the same time maintains the security of the Town Office, he said.

“It would not only be accessible for town functions but community groups as well,” Schaub said.

Some people still use the Community Building during its seasonal opening from April 15 to Oct. 31.

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