GREENSBORO – Fellowship Hall was at full capacity Monday evening, August 19, for a special informational meeting called by the select board about an affordable housing project at the Greensboro Town Hall proposed by RuralEdge.
The meeting was organized by the select board to help them understand what area citizens are thinking about the project said Town Clerk Kim Greaves.
Town Moderator Tim Nisbet welcomed those present and set ground rules: those who are not residents or property owners, as well as the press were to refrain from speaking until the end of the meeting. Residents who wanted to speak were to get in line for the mic. Each had two minutes.
Nisbet asked that all opinions be respected and personal attacks were off-limits. He offered that the gathering can be a positive and constructive experience.
He then introduced the board and town staff who were present, thanking Liz Steel and Beth Meachem for organizing the dessert pot luck, Ted Donlon for lending his sound system and the library for use of technology that allowed remote participation.
Select board Chair Eric Hanson thanked everyone for coming to this second special meeting on this topic.
Planning Commission Chair Kent Hansen summarized the history of the project, noting a town housing committee was formed in 2019 and suggesting they should have publicized themselves better.
He said they’ve been glad to champion the extended village district with its two-acre zoning and helped a Habitat for Humanity project get started. They introduced RuralEdge to the select board. Now several members have left the housing committee, taking on other roles in town. He said they are looking for new members to reenergize the committee.
Nisbet then called the first person up to make comments.
Over three dozen people spoke, some more than once.
There is a general consensus that affordable housing is needed in Greensboro, especially for renters, but many question if the town hall is the best site for this particular plan from RuralEdge. One person stated that the Greensboro Nursing Home needs affordable housing for its 60-plus employees. Other comments emphasized that town residents need complete transparency to the process, with no conflicts of interest, otherwise there could be irreparable harm to the community. Others at the meeting said the town should not sell the town hall and adjoining town green as they are a focal point of the town. Some said that RuralEdge information is misleading in reporting at the 2023 town meeting there was “overwhelming support for the project.”
It was mentioned that one hundred eighty signatures were gathered in a petition opposing the project and submitted to the select board, which has not responded publicly.
In consultation with an attorney, a number of concerns were presented to the select board. Residents asked if the sale of the town hall would be put to the select board and if town offices will remain in the building. Attendees were concerned with what will happen to the town green for the farmers’ market, Fourth of July events, gardens and other events. Others asked how much will the property be sold for, the effect on town taxes and when will everything be settled?
Some community members thought the project should slow down with a hold on the purchase and sales agreement with RuralEdge to wait for more community input and an independent study. They asked if the many contingencies with RuralEdge would be listed on the website. It was said making a detailed plan would cost some $400,000, which RuralEdge does not have the resources for: that is why there has to be a vote on the project before there is a plan. To vote without a plan is dismissive, one resident thought, and seems like behind-the-scenes decision making. They said there has to be accountability, warned meetings, agendas and available minutes, not a lot of platitudes.
One resident said they can’t imagine any town selling its village green. Others said that RuralEdge has not provided a proper detailed site plan and that architectural elevation drawings are not readily available in the literature given out, only online. The select board responded that, due to preparation costs, no detailed plans will be available until after the vote on the project. Some citizens asked if the board has seen a financial model and an environmental study, and if there’s an estimate on possible cost overruns? Some asked why RuralEdge hasn’t moved faster.
Other concerns were that the project will require many trees to be cut to the north of the town hall. A suggestion was made that a smaller-scale project could work, that 20 units is too large and that affordable housing should not be grouped together in a ghetto, but be better if spread out.
Residents expressed concerns about wastewater issues with this large project and that the proposal does not have any subsidized rentals. Many said that town hall is underutilized and would prefer to make use of it or get rid of it. Some asked what the town hall was being used for and that the third floor is difficult and expensive to renovate.
In response, the audience was told that town hall is being used by the town clerk’s office, The Giving Closet, The Hardwick Gazette and meeting rooms for the select board and other community groups.
Some citizens said that town hall is a valuable building that should not be given up on as it belongs to all the town and asked if RuralEdge could sell the building and the town green in the future. They said it is not a question of not wanting affordable housing but whether the town hall is the right building and asked if there are alternative sites for this project in Greensboro. Another concern is if there is enough potable water and adequate water for firefighting concerns and that the town has no data from RuralEdge about water needs.
The project has sparked concerns about the town green’s capability to handle sewage waste. Some wondered if a perc test been done as there are wetlands to the east and west of the town green, suggesting a high water table. There were concerns for how storm water drainage for the site would be handled with increased paved areas for parking. It was suggested people should look at other Rural Edge projects in northern Vermont.
Some in the audience said this project is needed to bring children to Greensboro, but there was a question about the number of cars for 20 rental units: possibly as many as 40 cars for residents plus guests equals a huge parking lot. That brought the suggestion to scale down the plan and find another place for it. Others said this project is the right thing to do for teachers and families and that the town needs more young people; if there is no school, there is no future.
Some residents were concerned about how requirements for historical preservation with the town hall would be handled, potential asbestos and lead abatement issues and whether the project would require an Act 250 review?
Others expressed the idea that the present option agreement (purchase and sales) expires at the end of this year, but rental costs have gone up. This project has been studied since 2019, but few volunteers have participated. Some asked who is going to do all the work? Others said they don’t know enough about the project to vote and a lot of questions have not been answered.
Nisbet thanked everyone for a respectful conversation to end the meeting.
Greensboro’s draft of minutes from the meeting is available at the link below:
David K. Rodgers
