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Middlefield commission agrees to seek assessments and appraisal to explore purchasing church property
Summary
The Church Exploratory Commission asked the First Selectman to request assessments from the Economic Development Commission and consultant Goman+York and to seek an appraisal and potential funding for due diligence to evaluate acquiring the church property at 405 Main Street.
At its Feb. 18 meeting the Middlefield Church Exploratory Commission agreed to seek assessments and an appraisal to explore acquiring the church property at 405 Main Street and asked the First Selectman to convey the requests to the Economic Development Commission and consultant Goman+York. The commission also asked that an appraisal consider the property value with and without the town green and signaled it may need funding for due diligence work.
Ken Twombly, chair of the commission, and Robert Yamartino, First Selectman (who arrived later in the meeting), were recorded as willing to attend a Board of Finance meeting to discuss next steps. The commission specifically asked Susan McNamara, a member of the Board of Finance, to communicate the commission's consensus to the Board of Finance and to raise the possibility that the commission may require funding for investigations such as environmental review, appraisal, or other due diligence.
The commission directed the First Selectman to ask the Economic Development Commission and Goman+York to assess potential uses of town properties should town offices and the community center be relocated from their current locations to the church property. The commission also asked the First Selectman to consult James Caramanello and other professionals about appraised value scenarios, including the presence or absence of the town green.
The meeting began at 4:03 p.m.; the commission entered executive session at 4:05 p.m. and exited at 6:37 p.m. The minutes state that no motions or votes were taken during the executive session. Earlier in the meeting the commission approved the minutes of Jan. 16, 2025 (motion by Fran Gudelski, seconded by John Giammatteo) and Feb. 4, 2025 (motion by Anne Malcolm, seconded by John Giammatteo), both approved unanimously with no abstentions. A motion to adjourn was made at 6:39 p.m. by John Giammatteo, seconded by Ken Twombly, and approved unanimously.
No formal commitments to purchase were recorded; the recorded actions were direction to seek assessments, appraisal advice, and to request potential funding for due diligence. The commission did not record any votes on acquisition or funding at this meeting. The next procedural step recorded in the minutes is for Susan McNamara to present the commission's consensus to the Board of Finance; the chair and First Selectman offered to attend that meeting to answer questions.
