Buckfield board agrees to explore sale or lease to preserve 'Old Church on the Hill'

The Buckfield Select Board voted Aug. 19 to explore a sale or lease agreement intended to preserve the town-owned Old Church on the Hill and transfer day-to-day stewardship to a community member or nonprofit. The board asked town staff to open a dialogue with resident Ashley Deshanes and Bradley Miller of Maine Preservation to outline possible sale or lease terms and to identify next steps. The town manager said the building currently has no plumbing and no reliable electricity, and that the local citizens'committee charged with oversight effectively lacks a quorum because it has only two members. Town staff noted they received no written public comments before the meeting. Board members and the presenter discussed community-focused uses proposed in a draft: a local farmers and homesteaders market, space for local artwork and hobbies, and other community activities. "This I love it. It's very encouraging. I love this idea. Absolutely," said Ashley Deshanes, who presented the draft proposal and described the concept as community based. Select Board members discussed whether the transfer should be structured as a sale or as a lease and emphasized the priority of preserving the building rather than generating revenue for the town. "I might suggest that we don't look at this as an opportunity to try to make money for the town," a member said, noting the building has been an expense for the town. The board asked the town attorney to advise on appropriate legal mechanisms and requested that Miller or another Maine Preservation representative join a future meeting, either in person or by Zoom, to advise on preservation pitfalls and sample sale/lease templates. The motion to "explore an agreement with Ashley Deshanes, with assistance from Bradley Miller of Maine Preservation" was made and seconded; the board approved the motion by voice vote. The board directed staff to coordinate a preliminary Zoom meeting with Deshanes, Miller, the town manager and members of the select board to discuss initial steps and then to bring recommended next steps back to a future select board meeting. The board also invited other interested community members to submit proposals or questions to the town office. No binding sale, lease, or transfer terms were adopted at the meeting.