Council discusses buying adjoining Goodones property for town hall; staff to contact seller

Councilors discussed a potential purchase of a four‑acre parcel owned by the Goodones family as a site for a future town hall at the June 18 meeting. The property adjoins the area the town has identified for a park and contains an existing house and yard area.

Council members said the parcel's location, existing utilities and proximity to the planned park make the property attractive. The mayor and several council members discussed options: keep the house for temporary office use, add a modular office while building a permanent town hall elsewhere on town property, or subdivide and sell the house lot to retain the remainder for park/town use.

Richard (staff) and other councilors recounted estimated cost ranges for modular buildings and for modest additions and noted demolition or remediation (asbestos testing and mitigation) could add costs if the town wanted a clean site. Councilors discussed financing options but expressed interest in making a cash offer using funds expected from an Inland Port Authority reimbursement on a previously completed waterline project.

Council directed staff to contact the seller and ask whether they would accept a cash offer, and to obtain comparable sales, appraisal and inspection estimates; the council discussed an initial cash offer figure informally in the meeting. If terms are acceptable, the town would structure a purchase contract with appraisal and inspection contingencies. No purchase was authorized at the meeting.