Select Board approves MOU with housing foundation to expand Barretts Mill Farm housing

Richard Healey, representing the Conquered Housing Foundation, asked the board to approve a memorandum of understanding to replace a failing septic system and add a modest addition at Barretts Mill Farm to support two family housing units for farmworkers. “We’ve raised over $400,000,” Healey said, and the plans had received historic‑district commission approval.

Healey described the work as modeled on a prior agreement (the Maisy O’Donnell agreement), explained that the conservation restriction holder had provided a letter of support for the septic design and said the remaining approvals would include a second conservation‑restriction waiver and building‑department filings.

Board members asked about deferred maintenance on the property, sequencing of approvals and whether routine maintenance remains a town responsibility. Healey clarified the addition and septic replacement would be funded and executed by the foundation while routine deferred maintenance would remain a separate town project.

After brief discussion of approvals and the trust’s letter confirming septic consistency with the conservation restriction, a board member moved to approve the memorandum of understanding; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Why it matters: the project preserves on‑farm housing in the town’s agricultural sector and avoids displacing farm families by modernizing utility infrastructure and creating a livable unit for a family with a young child.

What’s next: approval authorizes moving forward with hiring a contractor, filing building plans and completing the conservation‑restriction waiver process; the project team expects to coordinate construction with related town maintenance work.