ERVING — The former library at 17 Moore St. and its neighbor at 18 Pleasant St. are being reviewed by the Selectboard in hopes of reusing or redeveloping them, but there is no particular plan in mind yet for either building.
Both are old buildings that may potentially be better served if the town were to sell to private developers, said Administrative Coordinator Bryan Smith, but Town Meeting voters would have to give their permission.
Of the two, 18 Pleasant St. is likely to see some activity first, potentially as early as this summer.
The building used to house the administrative offices of the Union 28 school system until last fall, when the offices moved into the individual schools. Since then, the Selectboard has considered whether the building might work to house a town government department.
However, the age of the building makes it difficult to work with, particularly in terms of energy efficiency, Smith said. This has led the board to think that working with a private developer might work better.
“Our belief is that it would be much more successful in private hands,” Smith said.
This year’s Annual Town Meeting, on May 12, will likely include a question of whether to allow the Selectboard to offer 18 Pleasant St. to private developers, Smith said.
In that case the Selectboard would expect to use a “request for proposals” (RFP) process, in which it would reserve the right to accept or reject proposals at its own discretion, Smith said. This gives the town some control over how the building would be reused, rather than simply selling to the highest bidder.
The RFP would likely be publicized this summer, although that does not entail any timeline for selling or renovating the building.
Any activity at 17 Moore St. is probably further in the future. The Selectboard has only recently settled an old legal issue with the deed to the land. Technically it was owned by a school district that was dissolved around 1900, Smith said, although the town has been using and maintaining the building for decades. Last month, Special Town Meeting voters agreed to allow the Selectboard to take the property through eminent domain, effectively resolving any question of ownership.
“We’ve owned and taken care of it for years, so we believe we’re in the right,” Smith said.
The Recreation Commission has considered using the Moore Street building, he added, but the Selectboard wants to explore all options.
If the old library proves too difficult to reuse, Smith said it may end up being offered to private developers in an RFP, in the same process that the Selectboard is considering using for 18 Pleasant St.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com
or 413-930-4231.