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Friends group offers long-term lease to restore Right Landing house; Select Board seeks funds for multiple town building repairs
Summary
Officials said several town-owned buildings — including a historic meeting-house and the fire station — need urgent maintenance. The Friends of Westport Island history offered a long-term lease (presenters used 'like 99 years' as an example) to repair and operate the Right Landing house; the board proposed engineering and repair funds for other structures.
Select Board presenters described multiple town-owned buildings with deferred maintenance and proposed a mix of repair work, engineering studies and outside partnerships.
The 300– to 400‑year‑old meeting building (referred to in discussion as the 'White House' or historic town building) was described as having significant rot, failing window sills and other structural defects; the board proposed transferring previously-raised warrant funds and adding $50,000 to a repair account so priority structural work can start. The presenter warned that some planned interior projects (for example restroom work) will be deferred until structural integrity is addressed.
On the fire station the board said earlier engineering work found structural deficiencies that were not attended to; the insurer (MMA) requested engineers inspect the building, and the board proposed $50,000 to fund engineering and architectural planning rather than immediate reconstruction. The Chair said the study is needed to determine whether a renovation, add-on or replacement is required and whether financing will be needed.
For the Right Landing house — which holds the town's artifacts and hosts the history committee — the meeting included a proposal presented by Dennis on behalf of the Friends of Westport Island. Dennis described a plan under which the Friends would lease the Right Landing house long-term and invest in repairs and a phased expansion to create a museum wing. “The friends have offered to lease the right landing house for a certain amount of time, like 99 years,” Dennis said, and outlined a two-phase plan: immediate improvements to make the space usable including climate control and ADA access changes (phase one estimated at about $28,000 of repairs), followed by a larger fundraising-driven expansion (phase two estimate about $225,000) to add a museum-style wing.
The board also reported it will evaluate grant opportunities, donor campaigns and targeted fundraising tied to specific capital projects to reduce the burden on local taxpayers.
Next steps: use of existing warrant funds and the additional $50,000 reserve will be put before voters where required; the Friends and the history committee will advance lease and fundraising plans for review by the board and town counsel.
