Marblehead board may reconsider rental fee for Old Town House

MARBLEHEAD – To some the Old Town House at 1 Market Square may represent a two-story 1727 structure in need of an elevator – but to a wedding planner it could be quite a bargain.Selectmen were reminded of that a week ago when they granted permission to a Marblehead couple to hold their wedding in the building. The bride-to-be, Jennifer Yahoodik, said in her letter that “it would mean very much” to her and her fiancé, Joseph Christensen, “to enter into our marriage in a location that we consider to be a special part of our neighborhood and Marblehead?s history.”Selectmen appeared glad to honor the request, but were surprised to be reminded that the rental fee for the Old Town House is only $25 a day, far less than the $250 per day that it costs to rent Abbot Hall.?That?s a deal,” said Selectman Jackie Belf-Becker.Selectmen set the rate.Both rentals require the hiring of a custodian and liability insurance, and Yahoodik said she and her fiancé would also cover the cost of a Marblehead police officer for a traffic detail, to make sure that their guests did not disrupt traffic.However, Selectman Judy Jacobi said the board may take another look at the fee.Presently the Old Town House is rarely used for town events because it is not fully handicapped-accessible.The state elections office closed it as a polling place last spring.Building Commissioner Robert Ives has designed a ramp that will make it possible for the structure to reopen for voting. The $3,800 project will be funded through private donations.Meanwhile Precinct 1 voters will probably cast their May election ballots at the Marblehead Community Center, along with Precincts 5, 6 and 7 and Town Meeting is scheduled to vote this spring on a redesigned elevator that will make the building fully accessible. A similar plan was defeated by the voters in 2000.