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Carriage-house demolition appropriation fails after contested debate
Summary
A $300,000 appropriation to demolish a carriage house on the Ambrose school site failed after extensive pro and con discussion; the finance committee recommended delay for the Winchester Historical Society to study reuse and the required supermajority was not reached.
Article 25, which proposed a $300,000 appropriation from the building-stabilization fund to demolish the carriage house at the Ambrose school site, was the meeting’s most contested item and did not pass.
The school committee described longstanding neglect of the building and limited accessibility during school hours. Some neighbors supported demolition, citing concerns about unauthorized access. The finance committee recommended an unfavorable action and asked the Winchester Historical Society for one year to study possible reuse rather than immediate demolition.
After extended debate the house’s fate was put to a vote and the appropriation failed because the report indicated the vote did not reach the required supermajority. The host’s recap included inconsistent tallies while summarizing the outcome; the meeting summary stated both that 68% said yes and that the required supermajority was not obtained. The transcript did not provide a definitive roll-call tally in the recap and did not identify individual speakers for all claims.
Next steps noted by the finance committee are to allow the historical society time to examine reuse options during the requested study period; no further appropriation will proceed this evening.
