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Council declines to sell Country Club Road parcel; seeks partnership proposals for future recreation site
Summary
City staff recommended preserving the Country Club Road site for future municipal recreation, and the council voted to decline an unsolicited $750,000 offer and to solicit long-term lease proposals from private or nonprofit partners while formally designating the parcel as the future home of recreation.
The Montpelier City Council chose not to sell the Country Club Road property and directed staff to solicit proposals for long-term leases and partnerships that could be complementary to the city’s future recreation plans.
City Manager Bill summarized background: the city received an unsolicited offer to purchase the building and roughly four acres for $750,000 and had commissioned an appraisal and land-use evaluation. Bill recommended declining the sale, formally designating the Country Club Road site as the city’s intended location for a new municipal recreation facility, and pursuing a public process to seek long-term lease proposals from private or nonprofit partners. Recreation staff presented a concept plan for a new community center and field house on the site, citing limited capacity at the current 1932-era Berry Street facility and rising program demand (pickleball, youth sports, teen programming).
Speakers included members of the Recreation Advisory Board, rec department staff and representatives of a private group called The Hub (vice chair Matt Winthrop spoke), who described three-plus years of planning and fundraising efforts. Recreational stakeholders argued the site was uniquely suitable and urged the council to preserve it for municipal use; some presenters cautioned about business risks posed by private partners and recommended careful contractual protections if the city pursued a sale or lease.
Councilor Tim moved that the city decline to sell any portion of the property at this time, endorse Country Club Road as the future site for municipal recreation, and direct the city manager to seek proposals for long-term leases or partnerships that would be complementary to city plans. The motion passed by voice vote.
Councilors discussed whether to solicit competitive proposals or to engage the Hub directly; the council opted for a public solicitation of proposals so any interested groups could respond and the city could identify the best fit through a transparent process. Staff said the city and potential partners will coordinate design, fundraising and long-term planning steps if proposals are accepted.
