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A New Appraisal for Old Morgan Site

The effort to redevelop the former Morgan School site continues, with the Board of Selectmen (BOS) voting unanimously at its March 21 meeting to ask the Board of Finance to approve a new $4,500 property appraisal.

“There are a number of factors that complicate placing a fair market value on the Old Morgan School property,” said First Selectman Christine Goupil, referencing the lack of a sewer system, and the cost of demolition and cleanup as complicating factors.

“There are a number of developers willing to throw a number out on the table, but the town needs to ensure we are getting the best price for the property” Goupil said. “The original appraisal obtained by the town was for the existing school use.”

If approved by the Board of Finance at its April meeting, the funds for the appraisal would be appropriated from the contingency fund.

“This updated appraisal will take a few weeks once the Board of Finance approves of the funding,” Goupil said. “The appraisal is a starting point. All real estate projects are negotiations, and the town intends to seek the best value, both in the short-term and in the long-term, for our community.”

The latest appraisal plan for the former Morgan School property follows the failed proposal to turn the site into The Village at Mill Pond. This development would have transformed the 38-acre property with a mix of retail and residential use, as well as a hotel and restaurants. Initially, Mill Pond, LLC, hoped to break ground on the project in late 2016, however in August 2017, the project was abandoned due to the developer’s loss of financial backing. Since then, the town has remained in charge of the property, including grounds keeping and securing the property against vandalism issues.

Goupil said the town has fielded inquiries about the property.

“There have been a number of well-respected developers expressing interest in the property and are committed to the process. In the meantime, they are undertaking their due diligence, reviewing the existing Mill Pond files and the environmental reports for the property. We continue to actively market the property while working with a team of experts to meet with these interested parties,” she said.

In addition to the old Morgan School property, the town is working to facilitate development in other high-profile properties, according to Goupil.

“This, and the other seven development focus areas in town, continue to be a major priority for the First Selectman’s office. The redevelopment of the Unilever property project kicked off with the initiation of the Responsible Growth and Transit Oriented Development state grant. This project, for which the town received $55,000, will be doing soil investigation and testing to determine the ability of the Unilever property to support a new large wastewater management system to be redeveloped in an expedited fashion,” she said.

“Over the next few months, the town, working in conjunction with the option-holder on the Unilever property and Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, will get a much better sense of the capacity for use for this property. The town has adopted new zoning regulations to facilitate the next phase for this project based on what the market will bear for development. The town is working closely with the option-holder to ensure this progress continues smoothly at the local level and with the state.”