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Trust debates strategy for Bob Crow Road, counsel and project plan
Summary
Trust members described delays at Vic Hall and Bob Crow Road caused by missing ground-lease documents and demanding CPC paperwork, discussed hiring outside counsel experienced in housing trusts, and reviewed a TimeBuck project‑plan proposal capped at $7,500.
Trust members spent a substantial portion of the meeting discussing the Trust’s strategic direction, legal support and next steps for stalled projects, notably Vic Hall (187 Depot Street) and Bob Crow Road.
A committee member said recent months have been “very tough,” citing a failed CPC funding request for Bob Crow Road and “unreasonable requests” from the CPC that slowed progress. The same member described problems with KP Law’s markups and said a developer cannot secure financing without a ground lease; that delay has effectively prevented the developer from starting construction on Vic Hall despite having control of the property earlier in the year.
The Trust discussed hiring outside counsel with experience representing housing trusts. One member recounted a conversation with Robert Galvin (Galvin & Galvin), who works with the Barnstable Housing Trust, and recommended exploring retained counsel who understands housing transactions and ground-lease issues. Members agreed to gather resumes, draft engagement terms, check for conflicts and present recommendations at a future meeting rather than acting immediately.
Separately, the Trust reviewed a TimeBuck proposal to produce a project plan for Bob Crow Road (project team, tasks, schedule and concept budget) billed on a pay‑as‑you‑go basis and capped at $7,500 — an amount that falls below the Trust’s $10,000 threshold for non‑warranted expenditures. The Trust agreed to follow up with the project manager and return the item to a subsequent agenda after additional vetting.
Members also discussed a select‑board suggestion to solicit interest from Habitat for Humanity on an ownership‑focused option for the site instead of rental housing; the Trust agreed to contact Habitat to determine whether the organization would be interested in pursuing an ownership model before changing the project approach.
