BRISTOL — With the likelihood that voters would reject a $2,650,000 appropriation for a building project that would solve space and safety concerns at the Bristol Municipal Building, and the possibility that the town could acquire the Newfound Professional Building from LRGHealthcare at a much lower cost, selectmen tabled the warrant article at the March Town Meeting to give them time to explore the alternative. Last week, the selectmen announced that they have signed a purchase-and-sales agreement for the property that was the former home of Newfound Family Practice, and are petitioning the Grafton County Superior Court for permission to hold a special town meeting to see if voters agree.
The property became available due to cost-cutting efforts by the parent of Lakes Region and Franklin Regional hospitals, providing a new direction in the two-and-a-half-year effort to provide relief for those working in the Bristol Municipal Building.
LRGHealthcare has agreed to sell the property for $335,800, even though the town has been taxing it at an assessed value of $550,000, and an appraisal came back with a value of about $356,000, according to Town Administrator Nik Coates. He said the price is lower than its appraised value because the parties are dealing directly, which eliminates any fee for real estate agencies.
Some work will be necessary to adapt the building for use as a town hall, but Coates said the renovations will be significantly less than the cost of building a new town hall, as originally planned.
Edward “Ned” Gordon, who has led the space needs committee for the last two years, joined Coates and Selectman Wayne Anderson in negotiating the sale. The space needs committee had previously toured the building and concluded that only minor alterations would be necessary.
The work would involve removing some of the petitions in the examination rooms to create suitable office space, and one wing would be opened up for a 900-square-foot meeting room capable of accommodating a crowd of 50 people, Coates said.
The three major questions to be addressed before the town holds a special town meeting are whether it would be necessary to install an elevator for the second-floor office space; to determine the need for a sprinkler system; and to decide on an HVAC system, since the building currently is heated by electricity.
“If the voters agree to move forward with the purchase of the professional building, it will be a big step in solving the town’s space needs challenges,” said Rick Alpers, chair of the Bristol Board of Selectmen. “We appreciate the space needs committee having the foresight to identify the building as an ideal location for the future town office building and thank LRGHealthcare for being great partners throughout this process.”
Kevin W. Donovan, LRGHealthcare’s president and chief executive officer, said, “LRGHealthcare is happy to work with the Bristol Select Board on this building sale. We are pleased to know that the building that for many years served the community as a health care resource will continue to do so in a new capacity.”
Even adding in the renovations, Coates said the building, located at 5 School Street, should fall well within the committee’s original target of $1.25 million — an amount that officials predict would not add anything to the town’s property tax rate.
Tentative plans for the building are to relocate municipal offices there and turn the existing municipal building over to the Bristol Police Department, which currently is sharing space in the building. Plans to revitalize the 230 Lake Street building as a police station will require a vote at a future town meeting, according to the selectmen.
Coates said the town plans to continue working with Samyn D’Elia Architects of Ashland and Milestone Engineering of Concord to assist in the planning.
The architects originally proposed building a new town hall on town-owned land adjacent to the current municipal building to accommodate the town offices. They also would update the renovation plan previously developed for the expansion of the police department within its current building.
That plan had a total projected cost of $3.8 million, requiring some creative financing to make it affordable to taxpayers.
“We can save money and solve all of the different challenges we had identified,” Coates said, noting that the clinic’s reception area requires little work to make it suitable for the town clerk and tax collector’s office. It already has customer windows facing the lobby.
Tentative plans would put the land use offices at one end of the building where there is a separate entrance. Administrative offices could be located on the second floor, Coates said.
The town plans to conduct public tours of the building prior to the special town meeting, which is likely to take place in October.