Historical commission delays Carriage House demolition; school committee to cosponsor $300,000 spring article

Winchester — The Winchester School Committee on Thursday updated members on a dispute over the former Carriage House adjacent to the Ambrose School after the Historical Commission concluded the building is subject to a demolition‑delay review and urged stronger town involvement in seeking alternatives.

The committee said it had filed a demolition permit application following a 5–0 committee vote in July. At the Historical Commission’s Aug. 12 hearing, commissioners voted unanimously to place the property under the one‑year demolition delay and sent a letter asserting that the School Committee may not be the appropriate entity to apply for the permit — a view that differs from the town counsel opinion the School Committee had received.

Members described significant public interest at the Historical Commission meeting, including criticism that town and school officials had not adequately informed preservation groups and residents. Committee members said they had sought to communicate and emphasized the district had previously explored renovation and reuse proposals but had not found a fundable, viable alternative.

At its Monday meeting the Select Board voted unanimously to cosponsor a spring town‑meeting article to allocate $300,000 for demolition if no preservation proposal is secured during the delay period; the Select Board also signaled support for town counsel’s earlier view that the School Committee is the appropriate property owner to file the demolition application. The School Committee voted to cosponsor that spring article, consistent with its prior vote and pending any change in legal advice.

School Committee members and staff said the demolition‑delay order includes conditions the Historical Commission expects the committee to meet (such as site security during the delay), and they asked town counsel to review whether the commission’s conditions fall within the demolition‑delay bylaw authority. Committee members also encouraged community groups or private funders to propose alternatives; several attendees at the Historical Commission hearing suggested reuse options including small affordable‑housing units, artist‑led renovation or uses tied to nearby historic sites, though committee members said parking constraints and proximity to an active school limit many potential uses.

“We wanted to buy time for the town to be able to figure out if there was a way to save it,” one committee member said in the meeting, urging constructive proposals during the delay. The demolition delay is now in effect; the School Committee and Select Board will monitor whether external proposals arrive during the year and will bring the demolition article to spring town meeting if no viable, funded alternative is secured.

What’s next: The district will consult town counsel about the Historical Commission’s conditions, maintain site protection during the delay, and prepare to present the $300,000 demolition article at spring town meeting while encouraging community proposals to preserve the structure.