Pelham board authorizes contract to buy 29 Franklin Place; purchase to go to voters

The Pelham Union Free School District Board of Education authorized district leaders on March 12 to negotiate and sign a purchase contract for 29 Franklin Place and to place a funding proposition on the May 20 ballot asking voters to approve the acquisition.

The board approved a resolution setting a purchase price ceiling and allowing a deposit of up to 10 percent of the agreed price; the contract will require at least half of that deposit to be refunded if voters reject the purchase. The board also adopted a SEQRA Type 2 determination for the acquisition, a procedural finding from the state environmental review law indicating no significant environmental impacts are expected from buying and renovating the existing residence.

Why it matters: The house sits adjacent to the high school campus and the district says it could be used immediately for administrative office space while preserving land for longer-term facilities planning. The board discussed the purchase in the context of the district’s broader capital and facilities planning ahead of a bond vote this spring.

Details: The board-authorized motion sets a maximum combined outlay of $1,850,000 from district reserves for purchase and initial interior renovations. The contract language approved by the board makes the purchase contingent on voter approval. When the board read the proposed ballot language into the record, it directed the district clerk to publish the legal notices required by state law and to include a proposition that would authorize the board to expend up to $1,850,000 from designated fund balance to acquire and renovate the property.

District officials and consultants emphasized the purchase would not be fully executed without a successful voter referendum. In explaining the next steps, legal and planning consultants reminded the board that the SEQRA Type 2 finding simply clears the acquisition for the district to seek voter approval and does not substitute for the ballot process.

Funding approach: During the meeting the board amended the initial funding plan and directed staff to present ballot language authorizing the use of designated fund balance (savings) rather than issuing new long-term debt for the purchase. Board members said using reserves avoids the additional interest expense that would occur if the district bonded for the house purchase.

Next steps: If voters approve the proposition on May 20 the district will complete the purchase and begin the planned interior renovations for administrative use; if voters do not approve the purchase, the contract includes refund language for the deposit. The board also instructed administration to circulate the approved ballot wording and legal notice as required by statute.

Ending note: Board members described the acquisition as an opportunity to place district offices on property contiguous with the high school while preserving land for long-term planning. The vote to authorize negotiation of a contract passed at the March 12 meeting.