Select Board reviews progress on Mattakee’s reuse study, appoints MUC replacement

The Yarmouth Select Board received an update Tuesday on the town’s Mattakee’s Middle School (Madakees) reuse planning and appointed a temporary member to the Mattakee’s Utilization Committee (MUC) following a resignation.

Staff said the building-condition assessment for the former middle school is complete; the report is undergoing minor code‑related edits before being posted. The town has received two consultant proposals for the master-planning consultant role and expects to select a lead consultant in March. Select Board members described a process in which stakeholder teams (housing, recreation, economic development, historic preservation and education) will develop proposals, after which the consultant will help synthesize and refine those ideas and prepare an RFP for potential uses.

Board members praised the committee structure and the cross-pollination of ideas from multiple stakeholder teams. Select Board member Mark moved to accept Ian Kelly’s resignation from MUC with thanks and to appoint Casey Schmidt to MUC until the committee makes a recommendation; the motion passed unanimously. The board also appointed a historical commission representative, David J. Nakapelos, to the Community Preservation Committee.

Staff said an RFP for the consultant work will be issued after the stakeholder teams submit initial proposals and that the selected consultant will begin work in March. The board asked staff to circulate the building assessment and the consultant selection memo to the Select Board prior to the next meeting.