Cheshire Town Council kicks off property planning for post-elementary school era

Town Council · Meeting of October 17, 2024

CT CHESHIRE — Cheshire Town Council opens multi-year planning process for surplus school properties. At a special October 17 meeting, the council launched a brainstorming session on the future of Chapman Elementary School, Darcy School, and a foreclosed house at 422 North Brooksvale Road, all expected to become available as two new elementary schools are built. The town purchased the North Brooksvale property at a 2023 foreclosure auction for $203,000, with a net cost of roughly $170,000 after recovering $35,000 in tax liens; an appraisal valued the land alone at approximately $155,000.

Town Attorney Jeff advised the council to "seriously consider disposing of this sooner than later" before the circa-1860 structure deteriorates further. Chapman, a 9.2-acre R-20 parcel, drew interest from an outside party proposing a therapeutic horsemanship program, but Council Member David Veleber cautioned against committing to any single non-municipal use before fully vetting town needs. The council also unanimously approved a $3,000 Friends of the Cheshire Library donation to launch a Library of Things borrowing program and a $5,342 Local Prevention Council substance abuse prevention grant.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 1,049 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of October 17, 2024, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

CHESHIRE — October 17, 2024 — The Cheshire Town Council opened a brainstorming process Thursday on the future of several town and school properties expected to become available once two new elementary schools are built, while also approving a $3,000 library donation and a $5,342 substance abuse prevention grant at a special meeting.

Council Chair Peter Talbot framed the property discussion as the start of what could be a multi-year process. "This is intended to be purely brainstorming," Talbot said, noting the town will need to decide the fate of Chapman Elementary School, Darcy School, and a house at 422 North Brooksvale Road adjacent to Norton School once the new school construction is complete.

The Full Story

The council approved two financial items before turning to the main business of the evening. Council Member Gregory Wolff moved to accept and appropriate a $3,000 donation from the Friends of the Cheshire Library to launch a "Library of Things" program, allowing residents to borrow non-traditional items such as board games, musical instruments, and hand tools. Town Manager Sean — identified in the transcript by first name only — clarified the funds come from the Friends group, not tax dollars. The motion passed unanimously.

The council then unanimously authorized the town to apply for, accept, and appropriate a $5,342 Local Prevention Council grant to fund substance abuse prevention and mental health services promotion, a program the town has sought consistently in prior years.

The bulk of the meeting was a wide-ranging, unscripted brainstorming session on four properties. Chapman Elementary School, at 38 Country Club Road, sits on 9.2 acres, contains roughly 25,000 square feet, and is zoned R-20 residential. Council members and the town manager described the building as in poor condition, with no air conditioning, significant ADA accessibility barriers — including steps at the main entrance — and no formal gymnasium. Demolishing the building and converting the site to athletic fields was estimated at roughly $1 million. The town manager said department heads had not identified a pressing municipal need for the space, though animal control was mentioned as a longer-term consideration. One outside party had approached both the town manager and Council Member Patricia Cramer separately about converting the site to a therapeutic horsemanship farm through a program called High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, oriented toward people with Down syndrome. No formal proposal has been submitted.

Darcy School, at 168 Watery Road, is 12.3 acres with approximately 24,000 square feet. The council described it as more topographically challenging, with steep slopes limiting buildable area, but noted it is in relatively better physical condition than Chapman. Members discussed its potential value as swing space for future school modernization projects, noting that a middle school would typically require 15 to 20 acres and Darcy likely falls short. The current adaptive baseball field used by the Challengers program is on Darcy's property and would need to be relocated before any disposition.

The house at 422 North Brooksvale, adjacent to Norton School, was purchased by the town at a foreclosure auction for $203,000. Town Attorney Jeff — identified in the transcript by first name only — noted that after the town recovered roughly $35,000 in outstanding tax liens, the net cost to the town is closer to $170,000. The house, believed to date to approximately 1860, has been stripped to the studs. A prior appraisal valued the land at roughly $155,000 of a total appraised value of approximately $220,000. Members discussed whether to sell the parcel as-is, engage the historical society or historic district commission for input, or pursue a separate transaction for the structure alone. The town attorney said the town charter requires a public bidding process for real property sales but that the council could choose to set a price and solicit bids. A neighbor across the street has already contacted the town requesting a bluestone threshold slab if the house is demolished.

"I'm of the opinion that we should seriously consider disposing of this sooner than later," Jeff said. "The house that sits on there is going to just continue to deteriorate or become a liability for us the longer it's there." [No timestamp available]

Council Member David Veleber urged caution on Chapman and Darcy. "I think we should keep an open mind to alternative uses for the property if it's going to not be used by the municipality," he said, adding that he favored examining municipal needs before committing to any private or charitable use. [No timestamp available]

The council also briefly discussed the Humiston Building, a prominent structure in town center that currently houses the alternative high school and district administration. Members noted a deed restriction may tie the property to educational use, though the town attorney indicated a prior attorney general's process may have addressed that restriction. No action was taken on Humiston.

The meeting concluded with the council voting to enter executive session to discuss land acquisition, contract negotiations, and preliminary contract status related to the Chesprocott Health District, with the town attorney, town manager, and a management specialist included.

Why It Matters

With two new elementary schools under construction, Cheshire faces decisions about several aging buildings and parcels that could generate revenue, serve municipal needs, or be redeveloped. Chapman School alone sits on 9.2 acres near town parks, and any disposition will directly affect athletic field availability for youth sports programs that are already competing for limited diamond and rectangular field space. The North Brooksvale house is the most immediately actionable property, with council members signaling a desire to sell sooner rather than later given ongoing maintenance costs and the structure's continued deterioration. The next steps discussed include outreach to the historical society and, potentially, forming a council subcommittee supported by town staff and outside architectural consultation.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Accept and appropriate $3,000 donation from the Friends of the Cheshire Library for the Library of Things program (Resolution 101724-1) Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Authorize application for and accept and appropriate the Local Prevention Council grant of $5,342 for substance abuse prevention programs (Resolution 101724-2) Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Enter executive session to discuss land acquisition, contract negotiations, and preliminary contract status related to the Chesprocott Health District Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Cheshire's community access TV: Town Council meeting, October 17, 2024