Middlebury College, town spar over terms for park

Posted on December 11, 2013 | By John Flowers

MIDDLEBURY The Middlebury selectboard on Tuesday failed to muster enough votes to pass a revised term sheet outlining the mechanics of an agreement with Middlebury College on construction of a new town office building and recreation center, with some members voicing concern at the institutions rejection of a request that the current municipal building/gym site be perpetually maintained as a public park.

Tuesdays gathering provided another outlet for people to pack the boards meeting room to again weigh in on the current building proposals, which have spurred some controversy. Current plans call for the town to enter into an exchange with Middlebury College, through which the institution would receive the current municipal building/gym site at 94 Main St. and a town-owned parcel located at 6 Cross St. The college would allocate $1 million to cover demolition and removal of the current municipal building and gym, as well as the costs of relocating the Osborne House from 77 Main St. to the Cross Street site. The college would additionally make payments sufficient to repay a bond in the principal amount of $4.5 million, to be applied to the cost of construction of the new town office and recreation buildings, according to the proposed town-gown term sheet.

Town officials are seeking to build a new town office building at the 77 Main St. site. A steering committee is evaluating two possible locations for the new recreation center: Town Recreation Park property off Mary Hogan Drive, or a parcel off Creek Road owned by the UD-3 school district. Officials are seeking to build the two structures within a construction budget of $6.5 million.

The selectboard and college officials have spent the past few months trying to agree on a term sheet to lay out the primary terms of the deal. The latest draft includes 12 provisions, the majority of which have been endorsed by the two parties. But one of the proposed provisions has emerged as a sticking point. The town had requested that the college maintain the current municipal building site in perpetuity as a town park. Patrick Norton, the colleges treasurer and vice president for finance, has presented a counter-offer of 99 years.

This period is consistent with other long-term, land-related transactions, such as the college lease of land to (Porter) Hospital, reads a notation next to Nortons request.

Middlebury College Public Affairs Director Sarah Ray explained the colleges position thus:

As an institution that thinks in terms of centuries we do not go beyond 99 years so as to provide future generations with flexibility, Ray said. We want this flexibility for both the town and the college.

Selectman Craig Bingham strongly objected to a finite amount of time being placed on the park provision.

When you have the proposed sale of public property, we need to maintain this as public property in perpetuity, Bingham said. Thats why I proposed that language (in the term sheet). I think its what the voters of the town expect. They expect that this will be maintained as a park. I dont want my grandchildren to face the prospect of a college building being built in the downtown.

See the original post:
Middlebury College, town spar over terms for park