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Stevensville board and Community Foundation discuss land swap and a shared community center
Summary
The Stevensville School District heard a presentation from the Stevensville Community Foundation about a 3.54‑acre parcel and discussed options — sale, land swap or a shared community center near campus — including zoning, sewer costs and potential funding; trustees proposed a working group to pursue next steps.
Representatives of the Stevensville Community Foundation (SCF) presented to the Stevensville School District Board of Trustees about a 3.54‑acre parcel at the south end of Park Street and explored options including an outright sale with proceeds earmarked for a community center, a land swap with the district, or a shared facility located closer to campus.
Jeff Smith (identified in the meeting as the foundation’s president) and other foundation members described past community planning for a larger community complex and explained why the foundation scaled plans back. They said the parcel currently includes a rental house that has been winterized and that, if left vacant for a year, the property could revert in zoning or reduce its market value if utilities are not addressed.
Foundation members and trustees discussed zoning and utility constraints: the property has town water but no sewer connection, and bringing sewer service to the site was estimated in discussion to cost in the low hundreds of thousands (participants cited figures around $337,500 as a town estimate for sewer work). Trustees and foundation leaders examined alternatives including building near existing school fields to use shared parking and services, adding phased construction to keep initial costs lower, or selling the parcel and using proceeds to buy a more suitable site.
The SCF outlined a modest initial target for a working facility and community fundraising: participants referenced an "entry‑level" build figure of roughly $1,000,000 and discussed a possible footprint around tens of thousands of square feet with future add‑ons. Foundation leaders said private fundraising and donor interest could advance a smaller initial building with expansion later.
Board members emphasized protecting school campus continuity (concerns about fragmenting the school footprint) and said any shared facility should be convenient for students during the school day to be useful as shared space for events, meals and performances. Trustees also raised public‑engagement and statutory limits on how districts may acquire or hold land, noting that some land transactions can require public approval depending on whether the land adjoins district property.
Both sides agreed to pursue practical next steps: the board recommended using its facilities committee as a working group to negotiate details, asked the foundation to identify preferred parcels and a timeline, and set a practical information deadline so the district could avoid rezoning complications if the parcel remains vacant. The board signaled willingness to cooperate on shared parking, lease arrangements and deed restrictions that would preserve intended public uses.
No formal land swap or sale was approved at the meeting; the discussion was recorded as a work session and trustees requested follow‑up information and legal review before any formal action.
The meeting closed after a motion to adjourn and an announcement that custodian Doug Sellinger had passed away; trustees paused to acknowledge that personnel announcement.
