EASTHAMPTON — The Easthampton City Council Property Committee will interview two applicants who have submitted plans for the old Town Lodging property during its upcoming meeting on Aug. 26.
According to the city’s website, Living Meadow Farms and Renewal Initiatives are seeking to rehabilitate the historic 75 Oliver St. after four years of vacancy.
The Property Committee, which consists of Councilors JP Kwiecinski, Thomas Peake and Kiam Jamrog-McQuaid, will interview the two entities during a public meeting at 5 p.m. on Aug. 26.
“Councilors are going to do a preliminary evaluation [of the proposals] between now and the 26th,” said Michael Owens, the procurement officer for Easthampton, during a July 30 Property Committee meeting.
After talking with Owens, the committee agreed that Living Meadow and Renewal Initiatives will have a half hour to present their proposals before the committee spends up to an hour asking questions. The committee will then meet again on Sept. 3 to review the interviews and findings.
The 54-acre property, which was built in 1890, was used for affordable housing until it was vacated in April 2022. Since then, the house has fallen into disrepair. According to previous studies, nearly $1.5 million of renovations is needed to bring it up to code and function again.
Several city councilors noted during spring meetings that the city doesn’t have the funds to take care of the property the way it needs to be cared for.
Because of this, the City Council declared the house as surplus property in May and authorized the city to finalize a request for proposals for potential buyers. The property, which currently sits on the National Register of Historic Places, has three deed restrictions: agricultural, historical and affordable housing.
According to the resolution the council signed, the buyer would need to manage all three of those deed restrictions, and the city plans to require that the buyer pay at least 10% in property taxes so that the city can gain revenue from it. That desire for revenue for the city is one of the reasons for the move to dispose of the property now.
The city released RFPs for the “Purchase, Renovation and Reuse of the Town Lodging House” on June 10, and proposals were due by July 20.
According to documents provided to the city, Living Meadow is a local nonprofit that is partnering with the Chicoine Family Farm Trust at 116 Oliver St. to “return 55 acres of regenerative agricultural production, ensuring permanent protection of the open landscape while establishing a robust community food-distribution hub and hands-on farm classroom.”
In a letter sent to Owens and the Property Committee, which is also functioning as the RFP Review Committee, Living Meadow proposes to rehabilitate the historic house to provide 20-25 units of “high-quality, dorm-style” affordable housing for residents who are 18 years or older. The residents would have access to the farm and gardens on the property, the proposal states.
According to a proposed five-year land lease agreement provided to the city, the Chicoine Family Farm Trust would be granted permission to utilize 25 acres of land at the site for hay production, management and harvesting using sustainable and regenerative farming practices.
The project also includes plans for public classes on farming and food preparation, a food recovery center and community events.
“Living Meadow Farm brings over 25 years of educational and non-profit leadership to this project,” Elodie Chicoine, founder and executive director of Living Meadow, wrote in the letter. “We do not view the property’s overlapping restrictions as limitations; rather, we view them as the foundation for a sustainable, multi-use community benefit. We are prepared to execute this redevelopment with the transparency, stewardship, and community focus that Easthampton residents deserve.”
Meanwhile, Renewal Initiatives, a Springfield-based nonprofit developer, plans to partner with national nonprofit Farmer Veteran Coalition to revitalize the lodging property as the “Holistic Agriculture Academy,” a two-year training program that teaches veterans and community members regenerative farming, resilience and the business of a working farm.
In its 180-page proposal, Renewal Initiatives said the house would feature 17 affordable homes for households at or below the 80% Area Median Income, with veterans’ preference. The academy would provide job skills of working on a farm, evidence-based training on resilience and training on community impact.
The organization aims to have 70% of its academy graduates employed in agriculture or a related field within 24 months of graduation. They also state in the proposal that they would abide by the three restrictions and utilize the first floor as a gathering space.
Renewable’s proposal also calls for classes in the community garden and a portion of what is grown there to supply food to local school programs.
“In our vision for this property, a century-and-a-half old public asset goes back to working for the public,” the proposal states.
In a post to his Facebook page in late July, Peake encouraged residents to reach out to the Property Committee with their own questions for the interview. The committee will formulate questions before the Aug. 26 meeting.
Readers can learn more about each proposal by visiting Easthampton’s website: easthamptonma.gov/782/Town-Lodging-House. Past coverage on the topic is also available on thereminder.com, and Reminder Publishing will have further information following the interviews.
