GREENSBORO — Town meeting day saw the voters of Greensboro decide whether or not to utilize an Australian ballot to weigh in on the sale of the town hall building to Rural Edge. There will be a public information meeting to explain and discuss the Australian ballot article on Wednesday, April 16, 6:30 p.m., at the Lakeview Campus of the Mountain View Union Elementary School,189 Lauredon Avenue.
The vote will be held Tuesday, April 29, at the Greensboro Town Hall, 82 Craftsbury Road from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Ballots are being prepared and will be mailed to all voters before the end of this week, Town Clerk Kim Greaves.
The vote is the culmination of years of work to increase housing in Greensboro. The plan would have Rural Edge purchase the town hall and former school building to create from 16 to 20 affordable housing units.
Select board members have worked with Rural Edge to develop a purchase and sale agreement (P&S), which is the subject of the April 29 vote. The agreement sets a sale price of $495,000, with provisions and contingencies deemed important by both parties.
Chief among the contingencies is the ability of Rural Edge to secure adequate funding for the project.
Recently the town was unable to establish a plan for a wastewater treatment system, leaving the project without access to town wastewater services. The agreement gives Rural Edge an easement to use the triangular green below the town hall for a septic system to serve the building if it is suitable for that purpose. Rural Edge must also provide wastewater service to the grange building at no cost however it obtains wastewater service, notes the agreement.
A provision of the agreement will allow the town clerk to remain in the current ground floor office space under an all-inclusive lease estimated to be set at $1,800 per month.
Space in the new development will be made available to the Giving Closet at no cost for a ten-year term, renewable as long as the space continues to be used for that purpose.
The sale has been a point of contention in recent months, with some community members regularly voicing their opposition at select board meetings. There was much discussion about the P&S during public comments at the March 12 regular select board meeting. Greensboro resident Jennifer Ranz said the agreement was poorly drafted, asking if it has been reviewed by an attorney. She asked board members if they think it is good for the town.
Gary Circota said, in Section 15 of the P&S there’s a clause stating that if something is not addressed in the P&S, it won’t be part of the overall agreement. Circosta said this could mean that the town can’t rely on any other document or information unless it’s actually included in the P&S.
Vince Cubbage said it appears to him that the P&S is written for the benefit of the buyer, and in an effort to be constructive, he said he would send the board his comments.
Chair MacNeil reiterated that new board members need time to review the P&S before discussing details at the informational meeting.
At a special select board meeting, March 21, similar questions arose. Resident Rob Brigham asked if a representative from Rural Edge will be present at the informational meeting, being that it is likely questions will come up that only Rural Edge can answer. Some board members were in agreement.
Circosta asked if the P&S that is currently posted to the town website is the final version that will be voted on. Vice Chair Brennan said it may be, but the board was unsure at that time.
Davis Barnett said, as a member of the Communications Working Group, he asked the board to send ballots for the Rural Edge vote to all registered voters. Circosta agreed, saying this would maximize voter participation.
The board discussed the language that will be used for the Australian ballot. Chair MacNeil said the language would be just a few lines, similar to Article 11 on the 2025 town meeting warning.
A warning for the April 29 vote, signed March 31 by all five select board members, reads: “Shall the registered voters approve the conveyance of the Greensboro Town Hall/High School to Gilman Housing Trust, Inc. DBA RuralEdge under the terms outlined in the proposed Purchase and Sale Agreement with RuralEdge available for public inspection at the Town offices and at greensborovt.gov/rural-edge?
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.
