Two offers for former firehouse

SALISBURY — A modest-sized but inquisitive crowd skipped a presidential speech and the opening of the professional football season on Thursday, Sept. 8, to attend a public hearing on two possible uses for the old firehouse and the adjacent building.The hearing was held at Town Hall.First Selectman Curtis Rand, getting things started, said the job at hand was to get information so that the call can be written for a town meeting where voters will decide what to do with the small brick building and neighboring white clapboard structure on Route 41 near the gas station.Storage of vintage carsThe town could accept a $475,000 cash offer from Frank Gallogly to use the property (at 9 and 9A Sharon Road) for automobile storage; voters could opt to pursue a plan proposed by Mike Flint for three affordable housing units there; or the town could choose not to take either option.Selectman Jim Dresser requested that people with questions at the hearing focus on specifics and not debate the relative merits of the proposals.Attorney Amy Schuchat told the crowd of 33 people (including the selectmen and reporters from local newspapers) that Gallogly, in the “high-end automobile business,” wishes to buy the old firehouse to store his own vehicles. Gallogly is the former owner of the building that housed Paradise Garage in Lime Rock for several years.There will be no changes made to the outside of the building, and Gallogly anticipates renovating the small white building (9A Sharon Road) for a commercial use.Gallogly also anticipates converting the upstairs of the firehouse to either an office or an apartment — most likely the former, Schuchat said.Asked if there are any employment opportunities associated with the plan, Schuchat replied “Probably not.”Asked if there is a specific plan for fixing up the white building, Schuchat said the structure needs “significant TLC.”Asked if the building would be used for storage of cars or as an auto shop, Schuchat said the use is “mainly for storage.”Dresser asked about Gallogly’s plans for the green next to the firehouse. Schuchat said her client was ready to grant an easement to the town and keep the area as public space.The discussion then went in a different direction, as questions were asked about the appraised value of the property (Rand said it was appraised several years ago at $720,000) and about previous offers, most of them informal.The selectmen declined to bring one offer, for $400,000, to town meeting because, they said, a) the price was too low b) there was no specified use other than as an investment and c) there were other provisions attached that the selectmen were wary of.Another person asked if the primary consideration is price or use. Rand said “the door is still open” to other offers.Rand reiterated his point, that Gallogly’s offer, in cash and with no contingencies (other than approval by town meeting and from the Planning and Zoning Commission) is the one offer that the selectmen felt was worth bringing to the town’s voters.Affordable housing planMike Flint then began his presentation by saying, “I am not making an offer, I am offering an opportunity.”His plan is to convert the old firehouse into a one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartment building, and designate the units as “work-force housing.”Because the town owns the property, and because the cost of renovations would be kept down by volunteer labor and fundraising, Flint said his idea should be attractive for those interested in creating affordable housing in town.Flint envisions half the income from rentals going toward maintenance of the property, and half being returned to the affordable housing fund, created by the same ordinance that created the Affordable Housing Commission.“It won’t cost the town anything except deciding to use town-owned property for this purpose,” Flint said.Flint added he believes the white building should be knocked down for additional green space. “It’s a nice little building but that’s as far as it goes.”The outward appearance of the old firehouse would be changed a bit, as the garage doors would be removed and the entries set back 5 feet to avoid what Flint referred to as the “I Remodeled My Garage” look.Flint said his idea doesn’t change the village, adds green space and would provide additional life to the Lakeville downtown. And with town water and sewer in place, restaurants, the lake, the ballfield and Salisbury Central School in easy walking distance, “It’s close to perfect.”Flint was challenged on his assertion that the project would not cost the town anything — it would, in fact, cost $475,000 (the Gallogly offer) plus roughly $300,000 for conversion. Flint replied, “I disagree. The town will have an investment.”Andy Williams was all for the Flint idea. “I think it’s a wonderful idea. It would enhance the town, and make people want to live here. People my age, 26 or 27, don’t live here anymore.”Peter Oliver noted that when the process of financing the new firehouse (farther north on Route 41/44, in the former ITW building) was underway there was an understanding that the money from the sale of the old building would be used to defray costs. Flint said that while that might have been generally understood, “It was never voted on in a formal resolution. This is reversible.”Some people, while saying they were sympathetic to Flint’s idea, cast doubt on his construction estimates and drawings. Others wanted to know if there were abatement issues.Flint held up his hands and said, “I don’t have all the answers. I’m standing here trying to evolve an idea.”There was also some support at the hearing for rejecting both the Gallogly offer and the Flint proposal, and waiting for another idea, perhaps one with more commercial possibilities.Rand said the selectmen will have to meet later this month to work on the call for the town meeting, which is expected to be held next month.

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