By JOSEPH FITZGERALD

BURRILLVILLE — The town is considering potential expansion of its police station in determining whether a seven-acre parcel adjacent to the station should house a new senior center.

The Town Council has endorsed a task force recommendation to build the new senior center on the north corner of a town-owned parcel on Victory Highway. However, the council now wants the administration to review not only the cost of the proposed senior center, but schematic plans and cost figures for possible expansion of the police station, which is cramped and in need of more space.
At a recent meeting, the council supported:
n authorizing the administration to come up with a schematic design for the police station’s expansion in conjunction with the senior center project;
n preparing a plan to accommodate both facilities; 
n and determining the requirements for each building as well as the associated costs.
The task force recommends building a centrally located, single-story building with ample parking that would include a dining room large enough to accommodate 100 people, a multi-purpose meeting room and classroom space for senior activities.
The panel came up with its recommendations after two years of work that included visiting senior centers around the state, including the new Glocester Senior Center that opened earlier this year.
Task force members, appointed by the Town Council in 2004, are Ronald Blanchard, Shirley Hodson, Albert Lapierre, Raymond Menard and Mona Minutelli.
Last Month, state Sen. Paul Fogarty (D-Dist. 23 Burrillville, Glocester, North Smithfield) and state Rep. Edwin R. Pacheco (Dist. 47 Burrillville, Glocester) appeared before the panel to pledge their support for a new town senior center.  At that time, they informed town officials that they have already gotten the ball rolling toward securing state and federal dollars if and when the time comes to build.
Fogarty has sent letters to U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) letting them know about the project, Fogarty has also submitted to town officials an application for fiscal year 2009 federal assistance, which the town can begin pursuing in January.