courtesy photo
GREENSBORO — Voters at the March 4 Greensboro Town Meeting will have the opportunity to vote on authorizing an Australian ballot vote on the question of whether to transfer ownership of the Town Hall and former high school building to Rural Edge under a plan to provide up to 20 units of affordable housing. That vote could happen at a special meeting called as early as April if the town meeting vote passes.
A process of discussions and negotiation with Rural Edge dating back more than three years has resulted in a purchase and sale agreement between Greensboro and Rural Edge that will be accepted by both parties if the anticipated vote passes, said select board member David Kelley.
The controversial plan for redevelopment of the town hall has raised many questions among town residents and non-residents alike with no clear sense among townspeople about how the vote might turn out.
The conversation about housing needs in Greensboro dates back well before a December 2019 report prepared for the planning commission that identified an immediate need for 20 units of housing in a range from one and two bedroom rental housing for families, two and three bedroom homes and age-appropriate housing for seniors. That report noted the lack of sewer infrastructure and limited public water availability as obstacles.
Greensboro’s recent failure to develop a workable plan for a town sewer system, requiring it to return over $3 million in grant funds, provides ample evidence of that difficulty.
Kelley and select board member Ellen Celnik made every effort to capture the community’s concerns in contingencies laid out in the core of the purchase and sale agreement. The entire agreement runs a total of 23 pages, most of which protects the interests of agencies providing funding for the purchase by Rural Edge.
The five page core of the agreement would convey the 1.38 acres of land and the building currently used for the town offices to Rural Edge for a project to build between 16 and 20 affordable apartments for residential housing. It established a one year period for the town and Rural Edge to conduct the necessary design, planning and permitting for the project.
The agreement includes a septic easement on the town green, which would only be effective if that land is needed for the septic system.
The agreement requires Rural Edge to offer the town a lease for the town offices in the ground level space they currently occupy, with a minimum term of 10 years. The lease amount is anticipated to begin at $1,800 per month with a 3% annual adjustment. At least six parking spaces would be reserved for the town.
The Giving Closet will have at least 400 square feet of space to use at no cost for at least 10 years, with automatic renewals as long as the space continues to be used for that purpose.
Other questions that have been raised about the project that include parking, lighting and the remediation of hazardous materials, among others, will be answered as Rural Edge develops plans and obtains the necessary federal, state and local permits for a project of its size.
The bulk of the agreement details requirements of the agencies providing funding to Rural Edge for the project. Those conditions come from programs administered by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB), including those for a tax credit rental housing project, the use of American Rescue Plan Funds (ARPA) and a federal HOME Investment Partnership Program to serve low- and very low-income Vermonters, designed to increase affordability in rental housing developments.
Kent Hansen, chair of the Greensboro Planning Commission and Housing Committee prepared a timeline of housing related activities leading up to the April 24, 2024, informational meeting about the town hall redevelopment project.
A housing committee was proposed while work was being done to update the Greensboro Town Plan and held its first meeting in January 2019. During early meetings of that committee, private development was seen as not likely to be part of the solution to meet Greensboro’s housing needs, noted Hansen. Members felt those needs would best be met through nonprofit organizations and/or via grants, he said.
A professionally conducted housing assessment was completed in December 2019 to have accurate demographic and housing data on hand. At roughly the same time Greensboro’s Town Plan was completed. It said, “The long-term sustainability of Greensboro depends upon the availability of adequate housing for all residents, including seniors and the workforce, that are energy efficient and compatible with the character of the community.”
The planning commission joined the Vermont Affordable Housing Organization in 2019, using that connection to identify possible non-profit partners that the town might work with to increase housing inventory.
The housing committee then developed a relationship with Rural Edge and began to understand the first priority was to find suitable land to build upon. Several possible building sites in both Greensboro Bend and Greensboro were looked at, but nothing appropriate was identified.
In 2021 Rural Edge brought up the possibility of a rental project at the town hall, but the town had just entered a lease with WonderArts to remodel the building and develop a community center.
In the Fall of 2022 Peter Romans, then on the select board, told Hansen the town was moving away from the WonderArts strategy, suggesting a conversation with Patrick Shattuck of Rural Edge. Later that Fall Romans and Hansen toured the town hall with Shattuck, who was excited about the possibilities it might have for rental housing while preserving the historic nature of the building. The idea aligned well with Shattuck’s college degree and experience, given his focus on historic preservation, said Hansen.
Rural Edge soon proposed an action plan that began with analyzing and reviewing options in the first year, developing financing in year two and ending with construction in the third year.
At the Greensboro 2023 Town Meeting,.Shattuck made a short presentation outlining the Rural Edge vision and action plan.
The town signed an option agreement with Rural Edge not long after, in May 2023, agreeing not to enter into any agreement with others for the town hall for the period of one year.
In early 2024 Shattuck notified the select board the Rural Edge analysis had come back positive on all fronts and they were ready to move forward with a project. Shattuck presented an update on the proposed project at the 2024 Town Meeting. In April the town extended the option agreement until December 31, 2024.
Documents related to the project can be found on the town website at greensborovt.gov/town-hall-redevelopment/
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
