Effingham selectboard votes to proceed with single public-safety building while Murray Field deed remains under review

The Effingham selectboard voted to move ahead with planning a single, combined public‑safety building on town land while legal staff continues to investigate deed restrictions tied to Murray Field.

Members said Sean Bergeron’s recent review revealed two deeds for the parcel—a 1969 original and a 1996 corrective deed—and that deed language appears to reserve part of the parcel for fire‑department purposes with a reversion provision if the land is not used as intended. “If we don’t have the field day, it goes back to the family,” Joel Carroll said, summarizing the reversion language the board read aloud.

The vote followed weeks of discussion about whether to press heirs for a release, pursue a legal remedy, or abandon efforts to change Murray Field’s status. Chair said the board already sent the deed documents to the town attorney for a legal opinion and that the attorney’s input will guide next steps. “We sent it to the attorney,” the Chair said.

Why it matters: the deed question affects whether the town can legally expand the fire station or build new structures on the parcel without a formal change in the recorded use. Members warned that proceeding without resolving the question could expose the town to later claims by heirs or require court action to quiet title.

What the board considered: the meeting reviewed a range of options if the deed cannot be changed. Members discussed a temporary modular unit at the existing firehouse, renovating Station 2 to add bunk and gear space, or building a new combined facility at the rear parcel. Cost and operational tradeoffs were detailed: at one point members cited Bergeron’s proposal price tag (about $40,000) and identified line items from earlier estimates (foundation $46,500; insulation $7,500; overhead doors roughly $7,500 each) as examples of where costs are concentrated.

Board members favored a single new building as the most strategically efficient solution—consolidating the police department, a town meeting/conference room and some fire‑department functions—while keeping existing apparatus and storage at the current station as needed. A show‑of‑hands vote favored moving forward with that single building plan and to pause efforts that would rely on resolving the Murray Field deed before advancing design or bonding.

Next steps and timeline: the board agreed to place Bergeron’s broader contract on hold and to reconvene at the fire station at 6:00 p.m. Monday to refine building size and scope and to compare cost scenarios. Town counsel will complete the deed review and return a definitive opinion; members said they will not finalize contractor or bond actions until they have the attorney’s guidance.

Board business ended with a procedural adjournment after the follow‑up meeting was scheduled.