Council authorizes sale process for 145 Eastman Lane with preference for first-time-homeownership

The council on July 21 authorized the city manager to offer the tax-acquired property at 145 Eastman Lane for sale by broker or through a request-for-proposals/qualifications process, with a stated preference in the draft RFQ for first-time homeownership and low- to moderate-income ownership outcomes.

During public comment abutters and nearby homeowners urged the council to use a sealed-bid process and to give neighbors a first chance to purchase. Neighbors raised concerns about notification and about whether a private bidder could purchase and then resell without building affordable units. City staff responded that the RFQ is purposely flexible: it states the city's preferred outcome but does not legally restrict who may bid, and the city will evaluate responses according to the RFQ's scoring and then bring final proposals back to council for approval.

Council debate focused on how prescriptive the RFQ should be and whether the city should prioritize abutters or prescribed affordable housing outcomes. Councilors noted the RFQ in the packet was meant to convey municipal objectives (first-time homeownership, low-to-moderate income support) while allowing multiple approaches to achieve those goals. The council approved authorizing the city manager to proceed; staff said an RFQ would be issued within about 30 days and come back to council for final award decisions.

What neighbors asked for: information on whether the sale would be sealed bid or scored RFQ, how any sale proceeds beyond city costs would be treated, and whether abutters or small local builders would be given a fair opportunity to respond. Staff said the RFQ would be open to anyone, that sale proceeds would be compared to city cleanup costs and legal constraints, and that the RFQ would explain evaluation criteria.