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Dorchester 02 examines district properties after repeated flooding at Gavans site
Summary
Facilities staff presented an inventory of surplus or underused district properties, noting repeated floods at the Gavans (Gavance) site, remediation costs, and options including sale or donation to Canaan United Methodist Church.
At the Jan. 13 Facilities Committee meeting, a staff member presented a review of district‑owned residential and underused properties and options for their disposition, citing repeated flooding at the Gavans property and mounting maintenance costs.
The presenter said the Gavans property covers about 11.5 acres, includes a 1,380‑square‑foot building formerly used as an alternative school and tech center, and sits on a septic and well system. The presenter estimated an appraisal value “roughly” $500,000 but noted the property is in a flood zone and contains a one‑acre leach field that complicates remediation and future building use. Staff recounted a prior remediation after a Feb. 2015 flood and said a second flood in Feb. 2024 required additional remediation; each remediation was described as costing about $1 million.
Staff offered three possible courses of action for Gavans: 1) sell at fair market value and place proceeds into a land‑purchase fund, 2) donate the property to the adjacent Canaan United Methodist Church (a nonprofit), or 3) demolish the structure or pursue another disposition. Staff said Christie is researching the statutory process for donating a school property to a nonprofit.
The presenter provided brief assessments for several other district properties: 112 Joyce Lane (about 0.75 acre; Zestimate about $462,000), 801 Magnolia Street (about 0.5 acre; Zestimate about $330,000; currently used by Sodexo), 212 Joyce Lane (about 0.5 acre; housing Child Find services; Zestimate just under $300,000) and a parcel at Gum Street/Rawlings Athletic Fields (roughly two acres). For the smaller properties staff proposed selling for fair market value and relocating current programs into renovated district space being created under the district’s capital plan.
Committee members discussed potential community interest: staff said church leaders had previously expressed a desire to preserve the historic school building (formerly Canaan Elementary) and would prefer not to see the building demolished. Staff emphasized the properties are currently costing the district (the presenter cited annual utilities of $33,000 and maintenance of $20,000 for the Gavans building) and recommended the board consider options at a future meeting.
Ending: Staff said the slide deck and property details are in the facilities board documents for further review and that no final disposition decision was made at Jan. 13 meeting.
