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02/16/2021 01:26 PMThe Regional 4 School District could be selling off its nine-acre property on Falls Landing Road, which is in proximity to Valley Regional High School (VRHS).
At its Feb. 9 meeting, the Region 4 Board of Education (BOE) unanimously directed Superintendent of Schools Brian White to explore the option with realtors and an attorney. White plans to report back to the board at a future meeting after these discussions take place.
“I think, based on the feedback we have gotten from the community and what we learned in that BSC Group’s report, it’s time to consider parting with this piece of dead weight that Region 4 and Valley certainly aren’t going to use,” said D.G. Fitton, the board’s treasurer.
A grounds survey of John Winthrop Middle School and VRHS, which was conducted by the BSC Group in 2020, confirmed the property was not well suited for athletics.
“In this case, because of the dimensional constraints and also the wooded, steeply sloping site, it’s really not feasible for any of the needs you have…or really anything that would be a normal program for high school or middle school sport activity,” said Michael Kluchman of BSC Group at the Region 4 BOE’s Nov. 5, 2020 meeting.
A real estate appraisal report by Steven L. Frey & Associates, Inc., which was done in 2018, said, “the highest and best use” of the property is a “residential subdivision.”
The report went on to say that with “the extensive road frontage available” the site could “be subdivided into an estimated four lots with a two-acre minimum.”
The L-shaped parcel, which sits on the corner of Kelsey Hill Road and Falls Landing Road in Deep River, is zoned low-density residential (R-60).
The Regional 4 School District has owned the property since 1989. This is when Winston Scott put in the subdivision at the end of Falls Landing Road, and it became separated from the high school’s campus, according to the 2018 real estate appraisal.
Since the property is owned by the Regional 4 School District, it is exempt from municipal property taxes.
“So far as the property on Falls Landing…that’s something I would like very much to see them sell,” said Deep River First Selectman Angus McDonald by phone with the Courier.
The parcel currently has a fair market value of $226,100, according to Robin O’Loughlin, Deep River’s assessor, by phone with the Courier.
The marketability of the land was discussed by several board members at the Feb. 9 meeting.
“I think we should investigate the potential for sale right now,” said Lori Ann Clymas, Region 4 board member. “I think the market has gotten a lot better, [there’s] not a lot [of property available for sale] out there, so it could be to our benefit.”
Vice-Chair Jane Cavanaugh said, “I think we should get it on the market and just see if we can sell it and make some money and use it for some of the things that we need to do in terms of our capital expenses and other things…The market has changed over the last couple of years.”
“I think we all realize that the real estate market has had a boost recently because of COVID,” said Jennifer Clark, who added, “I’m optimistic about where we’re going with COVID in the next five years or so. I don’t want us to miss that opportunity.”
The property was estimated as having a $240,000 market value in May 2018, when the real estate appraisal report was finalized.