The Granby Board of Selectmen, the Commission on Aging, and Granby residents convened on Jan. 13 to hear two developers present their concepts for the redevelopment of the Kearns School property.
Jean Donihee-Perron, chairwoman of the commission on aging, spoke of the commission’s mission to create and evaluate programs and services for the elderly in the community. She noted that the Kearns property is an ideal location for redevelopment since water and sewer lines are in place. She also noted that there is now a two-year waiting list for housing for the elderly, so getting a start on this project is quite important.
Town Manager Mike Walsh reported that there were four respondents to the call for proposals. Three were accepted, and two partnered into one proposal, so the evening consisted of two presentations. Each gave background information about its company and detailed its proposal on how to redevelop the property. Each session ended with questions from the board, the commission and residents, both present and those attending via Zoom.
The partnered contractors, 7 Summits Realty and New Samaritan, favor complete demolition of the school and the construction of modern buildings. The other, Bobroske and Chadwick, favor retaining the school building, including the iconic murals on the walls, and using the classrooms as the housing units. Both said the housing units will have doorways that accommodate wheelchairs and will have many aspects that make life easier for elderly residents.
Walsh is requesting that within a month, the commission on aging and the board of selectmen each have separate meetings during which they will determine what features of each proposal they prefer and what features are most important for the project. Once the developer is informed of the choice, a yet-to-be-determined town negotiating team will negotiate an agreement to present to the board of selectmen. If approved by the board, a contract signing will occur. Walsh is hopeful that this final step will be completed before the end of the summer.
The meeting was recorded, and both presenters’ materials can be reviewed at granby-ct.gov Click on “Agendas and Minutes” on the home page, scroll to board of selectmen, click on Jan. 13 and choose “Packet” from the Download menu. The GCTV video can be viewed here by clicking on the “TV” icon.