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02/22/2024 01:26 PMAt a Town Council meeting on Feb. 7, the council granted permission for the potential developers of the Pierson School to access the property to do their due diligence ahead of a possible sale.
Over the next few weeks, don’t be alarmed if you notice more activity than usual at the vacant Pierson School.
At a meeting on Feb. 7, the council granted permission for developers HOPE Partnership Inc. and Xenolith Partners LLC to access the property so they can do their due diligence in anticipation of an eventual application that would go before the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC).
The developers needed permission from the council since the property is still under town control. Former Town Manager Karl Kilduff said the developers would be doing a survey as well as a hazardous materials assessment. Kilduff said the agreement would be for the developers to do their work over the course of 120 days.
“This is not a sales agreement; this is an evaluation so they can take the next steps in the development process,” Kilduff said during the meeting.
The Plan
In December 2023, the Town Council unanimously voted to recommend the former Pierson School property be sold to developers HOPE Partnership Inc. and Xenolith Partners LLC for $500,000.
The developers are proposing to turn the former school into affordable housing with an eye toward seniors as well as space for senior programming needs.
Per state law, the Town Council needed to make a referral to the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) for a report on whether or not the possible real estate action complied with the town’s Plan of Conservation and Development. The PZC unanimously voted the potential sale did comply at a meeting last month.
At a meeting on Jan. 17, Kilduff said that the next step was for the town attorney to review the language of the potential sale. Once the language is ironed out, a special town meeting will need to be scheduled so that voters can approve or reject the potential sale. No meeting has been scheduled as of press time.