BRATTLEBORO-A nonprofit that created housing rapidly and under duress during the pandemic is looking to further develop the 17-acre property with 60 apartments and 10 homes.
Preliminary details of the plans come amid criticism of the Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) management track record by members of the Selectboard and an admission by WWHT Executive Director Elizabeth Bridgewater that drug use and safety issues at the nonprofit's multiple properties need to be addressed.
At the Nov. 19 board meeting, Bridgewater and Director of Real Estate Development Peter Paggi updated members on plans to redevelop The Chalet property.
The plans still must pass through the local Development Review Board (DRB) permitting process. Representatives of WWHT appeared before the board at its September meeting for a preliminary sketch-plan review of the phased development.
Editor's note: We had hoped to run this story in the Nov. 27 issue but were unable. The auction takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Our apologies to our friends at Families First for the stumble. ----------- BRATTLEBORO-There's still time to make your bid in the Families First Giving...
BRATTLEBORO-Selectboard members have asked Town Manager John Potter and his staff to go back to the drawing board and return scenarios that describe 5% and 10% reductions to the proposed nearly $26.5 million budget for the next fiscal year. "I want to be clear with the public that a...
BRATTLEBORO-Come New Year's Day, the town will have a new trash contract. Following a lengthy negotiation with Casella Waste Systems - the sole bidder for a new town trash disposal contract - Selectboard members have authorized Town Manager John Potter to pen and sign a $1.3 million, five-year contract with the company. Assistant Town Manager Patrick Moreland explained that after about a half year in negotiations, the new contract will include curbside collection for downtown public trash and recycling cans...
PUTNEY-A fourth appeal to the Vermont Supreme Court has proved unsuccessful in stopping the proposed housing project on Alice Holway Drive. In its Nov. 15 ruling, the court cleared the way for landowner Windham & Windsor Housing Trust (WWHT) to proceed in its plan to build 25 units of mixed-income housing in two buildings on land on Alice Holway Drive next to the Putney Community Garden and the Putney Farmers Market. The ruling by the state's highest court affirms the...
BRATTLEBORO-The Selectboard has learned that it will cost about $2.1 million - a 9% increase from the current budget - to pay for municipal services just as they are, resulting in an about 14% rise in property taxes. After the report from Town Manager John Potter, board members have asked staff to look again for potential savings. Potter estimated that in the about $25.1 million base budget for FY 2026, the average taxpayer would need to pay an added $300,
BRATTLEBORO-Windham Southeast Supervisory Union (WSESU) Supt. Mark Speno has negotiated a three-year contract, to the surprise of some. On Feb. 14 of this year, the WSESU board entered executive session. Minutes of the meeting state that, upon returning to open session, vice chair Kerry Amidon moved that the board vote to authorize chair Anne Beekman "to negotiate and sign an administrative contract." The board approved. Eight months later, at the board's Oct. 9 meeting, Beekman made a statement with the...
BRATTLEBORO-Brooks Memorial Library has received a $1.47 million grant to increase accessibility, energy efficiency, and internet connectivity. "Expansion and enhancement of the exterior space around our building have been recommended in public forums and surveys for years," says Library Director Starr LaTronica. "These funds will allow us to improve accessibility to both entrances for those with mobility issues and offer seating and workspaces that include electrical outlets, along with strengthened WiFi connectivity," she said. The renovations will also make it...