After narrow defeat of amendment, Westport Island approves 99‑year lease of Right House to local history group

Town meeting members debated a warrant article to lease the Right House to the Friends of Westport Island History for 99 years before approving the main motion. Supporters said the Friends would invest both volunteer time and funds to stabilize and restore the building and operate a community history center; they described about $30,000 in near‑term repairs and larger capital needs in the future.

Opponents and some voters urged contractual safeguards, such as a mechanism for the town to reclaim the property if the lessee failed to meet obligations or if planned alterations violated ordinances. A motion to amend the warrant so the lease would be a one‑year conditional term (with a possible trigger to a longer lease if conditions were met) was debated extensively; the amendment failed on a voice/hand vote. After the amendment’s defeat, voters approved the 99‑year lease motion as presented on the warrant, with the moderator and select board noting that detailed lease terms and any conditions or reversion clauses would be developed by the select board and reflected in the lease contract before execution.

Friends representatives and several residents emphasized the project’s preservation purpose and said an engineering study and insurance‑driven repairs were needed to keep the building from further deterioration. The select board clarified that certain town responsibilities (well and septic servicing) would remain with the town, while the Friends would assume maintenance of the building itself under the forthcoming lease agreement.

The meeting record shows the amendment vote failed and the main motion for the 99‑year lease passed; the select board will draft the lease including any conditions discussed at the meeting and bring the contract back to the town processes as required.