SEEKONK - Selectmen Chairman Robert Richardson opposes the cost of the proposed senior community center and says the town cannot afford it.

Richardson appeared at the Tuesday meeting of the center's building committee to express his reservations about the $5.1 million project.

The 10,400-square-foot facility would serve the needs of the town's senior citizens and provide meeting space for community groups. Residents will have to vote for a debt exclusion to pay for the project. A vote has to be taken before Feb. 3.

Richardson said other board members were put off by the high cost of the project, in addition to the tax burden which would be placed on residents.

"It's still a responsibility on people having tough times," Richardson said, adding the $5.1 million figure was "a little shocking." Don Kinniburgh, head of the building committee, called the senior center "an investment for the town."

The impact on taxpayers would be minimal, Kinniburgh said, adding that the project was worth every penny. "Are we getting everything for that $5.1 million?" Kinniburgh said. "Yes, we are."

Jan Tabor, an employee of the Council on Aging, said the cost of the project would be much higher at a later date.

, adding that the new facility would be a benefit for the council on aging.

"We'll be able to help more people," Tabor said. "(The center) will help the town."