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Sheffield rejects authorization to sell town parcel at 1739 Huan Street amid affordable-housing concerns
Summary
Voters declined to authorize the Select Board to convey the town-owned parcel at 1739 Huan Street (assessor map 8, block 4, lot 17) after residents raised concerns about ARPA funding, housing needs and the timing of the sale; the vote failed 24–41.
The Town Meeting debated whether to authorize the Select Board to convey all or part of a town-owned parcel at 1739 Huan Street. After extended public comment about ARPA funding and housing strategy, voters rejected the authorization 24–41.
The article on the warrant would have allowed the Select Board to dispose of the property under Chapter 30B, §16, and to execute any necessary agreements. Several residents argued the four-acre parcel—purchased for $225,000—was a rare town-owned site that should be held as leverage for affordable housing or developed through a partnership with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or a community land trust.
Renee Wood, a former Select Board member, urged voters to oppose a rushed sale and highlighted that the parcel was purchased with ARPA funds. Legal counsel Mark Rich and town staff explained that proceeds from a sale legally must first be deposited into a "proceeds from sale of land" account and cannot simply be reclassified as ARPA funding; the town could later appropriate those proceeds at a future Town Meeting. Town administrators also noted the town still has approximately $263,000 in unallocated ARPA funds that could be designated for the garage or other projects before the statutory designation deadline.
Speakers disagreed on process and urgency. Some residents said the lot's commercial zoning and proximity to the business park made it more suitable for commercial use; others emphasized housing needs and called for additional study and an RFP process to invite housing partners. Attorney Rich clarified that Chapter 30B §16 allows the Select Board to impose conditions in the RFP and is not limited to a sealed-bid high-price-wins outcome.
After a motion to call the question (which passed unanimously), the meeting held the vote on Article 2; the motion failed 24 yes, 41 no, so the Select Board was not authorized to proceed with disposition under the terms presented.
