We are concerned that the condition of the state finances is going to cause the taxes in Granby to go up. We have watched the Kearns School sit empty for almost 3 years, requiring maintenance annually for $30,000–$50,000.
There is a proposal now from a group that would like to start a non-profit entity in the building to use as a community center for Granby and the surrounding towns. The funding would be through grants and donations to do remodeling and refurbishing for set up and to cover the first year. Granby will get $1 a year for 10 years along with not having to pay for maintenance on the building.
We have some questions:
1. Has there been any attempt to aggressively market the property to either sell or lease it to bring in more income to Granby?
2. There were about 30 people who attended the public hearing and although at least 25 were positive we did not hear any commitment for any ongoing income after the first year to maintain the facility and proposed salaries of the two directors. What happens after the first year when the initial grants are gone? Where will the money come from? We hope not from the Community Fund that already supports many of the clubs and services that are provided for our residents. And we hope not from the state, which in effect would be from state taxes.
3. Is there still an insurance cost for Granby to cover any potential lawsuits for injuries on the property?
4. If the project does go forward is there room for negotiation to bring in more money for the lease?
We would like to see our elected officials look for more projects that will bring in tax revenue to help ALL the residents of Granby.