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Habitat closing delayed while ARPA-funded site work proceeds
Summary
The Affordable Housing Committee was told Habitat’s attorney and the town’s counsel are negotiating closing details for a parcel transfer, but committee members say the deed transfer remains unclear; the group agreed Habitat can begin ARPA-funded site prep while lawyers finalize the closing.
The Affordable Housing Committee was updated that Habitat’s attorney and the town’s legal representatives are working through a memorandum of agreement and closing logistics, but committee members said they still do not know what is holding up the deed transfer. Chair (S1) said, “we can't get an answer on that,” and that she will continue to loop town counsel, staff and Habitat into communications while seeking clarification.
Committee members told the meeting that the January 2025 MOU has been exchanged with Habitat’s attorney and that Mike Carey and Sarah Loeffler have been in contact; Habitat’s attorney and the town’s attorney are reportedly coordinating the closing. Committee member (S3) and others flagged outstanding items that may be affecting the close, including subdivision paperwork, a driveway agreement, MILR-related items and drawdown restrictions.
Why it matters: The committee has ARPA funds allocated for site preparation tied to the project and wants work to begin so those funds are used rather than sit idle. Chair said the committee intends to let Habitat proceed with initial site work—engineering and site prep paid from ARPA—so construction can move forward even if the deed transfer is not yet complete.
Committee discussion and next steps: Members agreed that invoices and payment approvals should flow from Habitat through the committee’s designated contacts to town staff for payment. Chair asked the committee to designate a point person to forward invoices to town staff and to confirm satisfactory completion of work; members agreed that Habitat’s general contractor would likely confirm site work was done to expectation before payments are processed. Chair said she will keep following up with Sarah and the attorneys and will resend communications from the consultant about upcoming focus groups.
The meeting did not include a formal vote on the project, but the committee indicated consensus to allow ARPA-funded preparatory work to proceed while legal closing steps continue. The committee expects to report further updates—including any scheduled closing date—at the next meeting.
