Politics & Government

Selectmen Authorize Purchase of Land for New Town Garage

Contingencies would be in place as process moves forward.

The Board of Selectmen recently authorized the town to enter a purchase and sale agreement for 5 Cherry Brook Road in hopes of eventually building a new town garage on the site. 

Under the agreement, the town would pay a total of $665,000 for the property. The actual sale price would be higher but $235,000 would be gifted to the town. 

The purchase agreement also provides numerous contingencies that would allow the town to opt out if the project does not move forward. 

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Town officials have included a new garage as part of a proposed bonding package that, pending Board of Finance approval, would go to voters in November. The town's Permanent Municipal Building Committee is currently working with Weston & Sampson engineers to refine a current $7 million estimate, which includes site acquisition, site work and the garage.

In 2010, voters defeated a referendum for the town to spend $900,000 on the property. In that case, the sale price was also higher and also included a gifted portion. Since then the lot has been subdivided, providing the town with a more economical piece in the rear of the property and increasing the potential for commercial development in the front, officials said. 

Find out what's happening in Cantonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This time around officials hope to present a complete plan to voters that would be part of a bond proposal in November — should the Board of Finance approve all or some of the proposed package. 


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