Ashland School Board approves partnership with Sunstone to pursue housing on district land

The Ashland School Board on July 11 approved a Master Service Agreement (MSA) with Sunstone Housing Collaborative to pursue feasibility, procurement and development steps for affordable housing on district-owned surplus property.

The agreement, approved by unanimous vote, designates Sunstone as the district’s administrative partner to conduct feasibility analysis, cultivate a consultant and partner team, develop project finance strategy, run a request-for-proposal process and oversee transition to marketing and operations. "When this project is completed, there will be housing to support an increase in families residing in Ashland and therefore students enrolled in Ashland School District," Krista Palmer, Executive Director of Sunstone Housing Collaborative, told the board.

The MSA frames Sunstone as the facilitator of the development process; final decisions on sale of district land and approval of any selected developer remain with the board. The contract language also contemplates sale terms that could be conditioned on required post-closing development and deed restrictions to ensure the project meets agreed goals.

Board members and Sunstone staff spent substantial time on the MSA’s operational details during the meeting. Board member Eva (last name not provided) requested edits to clarify language where the agreement references increasing "enrollment," asking that it be changed to "Ashland School District enrollment." Palmer and district counsel indicated the document already defines the term "District" to mean Ashland School District, but agreed to the requested explicit phrasing in several places.

Board members also asked about Sunstone’s funding and staffing model. Palmer said she is Sunstone’s only paid staff member and that other board members serve as volunteers; Sunstone expects to secure consultant and project funds through grants and other financing strategies. Board member Dan and district staff said the RFP and selection process will be co-managed with legal review and that finalists would be presented to the board for approval before any land sale or developer selection.

The board’s motion approved the MSA "as amended," with the amendments to be limited to clarifying, non-substantive edits (for example, wording changes such as "fundraising" to "fundraise") and the explicit insertion of "Ashland School District enrollment" where the term "enrollment" appears.

District counsel and staff emphasized that the board will remain the final authority on any sale of district property. Scott Whitman (staff member) described the subsequent steps: Sunstone will manage the RFP process with consultant HMK, present recommended respondents, and then the board will review and vote on any proposed developer and sale terms. Krista Palmer said Sunstone will continue to oversee implementation efforts after sale to ensure developers meet deed-restriction and financing commitments that enable the project’s affordable-housing goals.

The board approved the MSA by motion (mover: Eva; second: Joe Franco) and a unanimous voice vote from the five members present.

Board members said they expect further legal and drafting work to clean up typographical issues and to incorporate the agreed clarifications before final sign-off. The board also noted that Sunstone’s role could continue after sale to monitor compliance with covenants or deed restrictions tied to development and affordability commitments.

The board and Sunstone described the agreement as a facilitation and oversight arrangement; the district did not commit to acting as a long-term property manager. Any sale, transfer of title and related deed restrictions would be reviewed and approved by the board at a future public meeting.