Selectmen received an update Dec. 1 on 50 Pleasant Street and next steps for environmental review.

Selectman Gerald said he has requested a proposal from Mainland for a Phase I environmental site assessment (ESA). He explained a Phase I ESA covers records review and paperwork to identify potential contamination risks; if the Phase I indicates possible contamination, a Phase II on-site assessment would follow. Gerald said the board needs the Phase I completed before any property transfer could proceed and that he has also contacted regional planning and council-of-governments staff to explore brownfields eligibility.

Gerald said he has two early estimates for the Phase I—one from Mainland and one from Saint Germain—and that they were similar in cost. The board had previously authorized up to $6,000 for this work under an unanticipated-expenditure provision (OB 16); Gerald said he expects to be under that cap but will proceed promptly because there is a time clock at the end of the month for proposals.

The board did not take a new vote on the matter at the Dec. 1 meeting; members asked for the proposal to be posted and for staff to follow up as required. The transcript does not record a formal deadline beyond the speaker’s comment that there is a time constraint at month-end.