Westerly Town Council is seeking an opinion from the Planning Board on the possible sale of Bradford School West

WESTERN – City Council is seeking an advisory opinion from the Planning Board on its plans to sell the former Bradford School property with a view to finding a buyer willing to develop the property for the elderly.

At its meeting on Monday, the Board decided by a vote of 6-1 to request the opinion of the Planning Board on 18 January. at its meeting. State law requires zoning boards to assess whether municipal property is in continuous public use before municipalities can sell the property. Commissioner Christopher Duhamel stressed the need to consult the Planning Board, but voted against the council’s proposal, saying the government and city staff are likely to need more time to conduct the study.

Two residents opposed the sale of the property and a few others expressed the same opinion in written comments. A few residents submitted written comments and expressed support for the council’s proposal to sell the property.

Interim Mayor Shawn Lacey outlined the building’s problems and estimated that repairing its roof and exterior brick walls would cost about $ 500,000, both of which he said would allow water to penetrate the building and cause a mold problem. The building was removed from the school at the end of the 2016-17 school year due to a decrease in pupils and has been used as a space for recreation staff and some recreation programs in recent years.

The commissioners said they were working to sell the property to free up maintenance costs associated with the city’s building and as a possible way to address the city’s lack of housing for the elderly.

“I can’t justify a building that is only used for table tennis and basketball,” said Commissioner Caswell Cooke Jr. He went on to believe that selling the property as a potential senior home was a good approach, but added. that he could support the demolition of the school building and getting the city into the land.

Council chairwoman Sharon Ahern said discussions with the recreation board are underway to move recreation programs from the Bradford School building to the former Tower Street School, which the council recently leased to the Royce Family Foundation. The Foundation has offered to engage in a community discussion to determine the potential uses of the Tower Street building. Some residents have put pressure on city officials to continue using the Tower Street building for social services and education organizations. These types of uses flourished when the building operated as a school-centered community center.

Duhamel asked for a detailed report on how much it would cost to use the Bradford School building with an expanded recreation program.

“The costs need to be estimated. We haven’t had a breakdown of what it would cost to maintain the building,” Duhamel said.

William Aiello, a former city councilor and resident of Bradford, raised a number of concerns during and after the meeting, including the rate at which the council seemed to change the sale of the Bradford property.

“All the previous discussions were in the management team. This was the first opportunity for the audience, and it’s a shock that comes without public discussion. Let’s have thoughtful discussions and community planning. Let’s get the community involved and talk and see what the community wants,” Aiello said.

Aiello also questioned Lacey’s estimate of the cost of the repairs needed, saying it seemed high, and said there would be more recreational and other programs in the Bradford School building than those mentioned by council members. For example, open gym classes are held, he said, and the building has been used for blood tests, Red Cross exercises, and the recent COVID-19 vaccination clinic. Other organizations have expressed interest in using the building, Aiello said.

The interior of the Bradford building was updated in the 1980s after the fire, meaning it is more modern than the Tower Street School building, Aiello said. If nothing else, Aiello said the city should retain Bradford School’s land ownership for potential future use.