Old town hall re-use still pending
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

The Westminster Town Hall Re-Use Committee is getting ready to issue their third attempt at selling the Bacon Street building, which once housed town offices.

The committee has developed a third Request for Proposals to seek potential buyers for the building at 3 Bacon St. The RFP is looking for less engineering and professional work than in previous RFPs, said Town Planner Alicia Altieri.

"It makes it a little bit easier for someone to apply," said Beth D'Onfro, the chair of the Re-Use Committee.

She said the changes remove a lot of the upfront costs the first two RFPs had included. The new RFP also allows groups of people to come together to make the project work, something that was not encouraged in the last one, she noted.

This third attempt to seek proposals for the building comes after two previous RFPs elicited a single bid, from Robert and Marcia Thorell. Their proposal said it isn't feasible to renovate the entire three-story building, but only the first floor. D'Onfro said the proposal didn't meet all of the legal guidelines for the RFP.

The Re-Use Committee also sent letters to the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board, and the Historical Commission seeking their input on the proposed RFP as well as on the future of the site.

Selectmen set a minimum bid at $20,000 to cover the legal expenses associated with a potential sale of the property and the continued upkeep and heating of the building.

D'Onfro said she didn't think the minimum was going to discourage realistic bidders, because of the high cost of any renovations to the building.

Preserving the historical exterior remains part of the attempt to sell the building.

"We are also talking about advertising it differently," D'Onfro said. "We're going to have to hope that marketing this thing differently is going to get more results."

The committee will not only do the normal, and legally required, advertising in the Central Registry and the local newspapers, but also seek publicity from publications such as Yankee Magazine.

D'Onfro said committee members also are trying to find a town use for the building. One of the ideas being floated is a community art center.

For a time, the selectmen considered using the first floor space as a temporary location for the Forbush Library if renovations were done at the library. That is no longer considered an option.

The Historical Commission opposes to the concept of selling the building. Instead they hope to see it used by the town, according to a letter sent to the Re-Use Committee. The commission is suggesting uses such as a community center, a teen center, and a museum on the third floor.

"With Westminster's population steadily increasing, we will be hard pressed to find space in the middle of town for important segments of our population and the Town Hall would be an ideal location for a community center for different age groups," the letter states.

They commission said in a letter about a year ago they don't believe the 54 surveys returned on the subject were an accurate representation of residents' views.

"It is the duty of the Historical Commission, among others, to work towards preserving the architectural heritage of our town," the commission said. "It is our job to inform not only residents but also other town boards and commissions of the importance of preserving this heritage as we do our daily work."