Deerfield committee reviews Brownfields report estimating $210,000–$280,000 in abatement for St. James property

The Ad Hoc Senior Housing Committee on June 10 reviewed a Brownfields report for the St. James church and rectory that identified small quantities of asbestos and on‑site oil tanks and estimated abatement costs in the range of $210,000 to $280,000, committee guest Alex Galloway said.

Committee members said the estimate needs more detail before decisions are made. Committee member Carolyn Ness questioned whether the figure matched the reported quantities and asked Alex to request a detailed cost breakdown, including whether demolition and boiler removal were included in the estimate. Alex agreed to follow up with the report authors.

The discussion framed two possible next steps: archiving the property’s historic materials and records, or issuing an RFP for removal of the buildings. Committee member Blake Gilmore reported no response yet from the Diocese about archiving. Ness urged the group to gather information from the Diocese and local contacts (Chris Harris and Peter Thomas) before finalizing an RFP, while Alex recommended that an archiving RFP come before any removal RFP. Chair Lili Dwight said she did not want to delay removal actions and read a letter to the Selectboard requesting an RFP for removal of the buildings (explicitly excluding the garage); Dwight said she planned to meet with the Selectboard that evening to press the matter.

Committee materials also noted an unrelated RFP with a July 9 deadline that currently has no update. No formal vote on the St. James property occurred; the committee’s immediate actions are to seek a cost breakdown from the Brownfields report, continue outreach to the Diocese and identified local contacts, and raise the RFP/removal question with the Deerfield Selectboard.

The committee approved the minutes from its June 3 meeting unanimously. The next committee meeting is scheduled for June 17, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.