Council refers former Teen Center (71 East Albert St.) to Planning & Zoning, authorizes sale negotiations contingent on approval

Torrington — Councilors on Tuesday moved forward with the first formal steps toward selling the former Teen Center at 71 East Albert Street but the decision followed public concern that the Parks and Recreation Commission had not been consulted.

Patty Fairchild, chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, told the council she and the commission learned through the council’s Facebook agenda that the city planned to sell the building and said the commission had no prior notice or input. “The Parks and Recreation Commission had no knowledge of any of this,” Fairchild said during public comment.

At the agenda item, the facilities manager explained that the building’s primary program funding came from a Board of Education grant that ended; since then the city has been unable to sustain programs that would make the facility financially neutral. The facilities manager cited significant ADA deficiencies, a failing boiler and limited revenue (the dance studio arrangement yields a modest revenue split), and said that bringing the building up to code would require substantial expense.

Council approved a motion to refer the proposed sale (71 East Albert St., Assessor’s map 116 block 021, lot 024) to the Planning & Zoning Commission for a Connecticut General Statute §8-24 determination. Separately, council authorized the mayor to proceed with sale negotiations derived from an RFP under terms advantageous to the city, contingent on a favorable recommendation from Planning & Zoning.

Next steps: The referral to P&Z initiates the statutory review. The RFP negotiation authority is contingent on P&Z approval; council discussion indicated the city will seek terms that return underutilized buildings to the tax rolls and asked staff to preserve oversight and public-interest protections.