SAU 8 Board Of Education To Discuss Sale Of Former Eastman School In East Concord On Monday

CONCORD, NH — The Concord School District Board of Education will host a special meeting on Monday night to place a question on the ballot regarding the sale of the former Eastman Elementary School, although there are no current proposals on what to do with the property.

The school, located on Shawmut Street near Exit 16 in East Concord, was an elementary school up until 2013, when the $90.8 million elementary school consolidation project was completed. It features a school building that is approximately 60 years old, situated on about 4.6 acres of land in a residential neighborhood.

The assessed value of the land and building, as listed by the city of Concord, is approximately $402,000. However, Michael Castagna of Castagna Consulting Group, who was hired about 14 years ago to devise ideas for selling the district’s excess holdings, stated in 2012 that the property would be worth significantly more than that.

Castagna had two potential buyers interested in building housing or assisted living on the parcel, with approximately 50 to 60 units, although neighbors at the time were not too keen on the idea. He also proposed dorms for NHTI, Concord’s community college, or housing for the New Hampshire National Guard.

The Boys and Girls Club is currently renting the building for its Eastman Early Learning Center.

Pamela Walsh, the president of the school board, stated the Capital Facilities Subcommittee approved a proposal to place the measure on the ballot in August. The proposal was scheduled for discussion on Sept. 8, but was tabled. A public hearing was scheduled for Monday night, with the media notified on Friday morning.

Last year, Concord Concerned Citizens, a grassroots group of about a dozen activists opposed to the construction of a new Rundlett Middle School on land owned by SAU 8 abutting the Broken Ground Elementary School and Mill Brook Primary School, placed a charter amendment on the ballot requiring voters to approve the sale of property by the district. The measure read: “No parcel of real property owned by the Concord School District, larger than one acre, shall be sold, gifted, or exchanged by the district without an affirmative simple majority vote of Concord School District voters voting on the question. This amendment shall be effective immediately upon passage.”

Despite active opposition to both charter amendments, they were approved by voters, with Amendment 2, the land sale provision, garnering the most votes of the two, winning by a margin of more than 70 percent.

Most voters and supporters believed the intent of the amendment would require the board to seek voter approval for proposals when selling the land, similar to the state’s town meeting form of government. However, it was not worded that way.

Walsh said, after conferring with the district’s legal counsel, “the steps that we are taking now are appropriate,” based on the language of the amendment.

If approved on Monday, a question regarding the sale of Eastman will be placed on the ballot. If approved by the voters, the board will consider proposals and then hold a public hearing to approve the sale, without a final approval of the sale proposal coming from the voters.

Walsh said there is currently no proposal being put forward by a buyer. State law now requires SAUs to offer charter schools the right of first refusal, she said.

At one point during the process of renting to the Boys and Girls Club, there was prior discussion about selling the building to them, but the organization was not prepared to purchase it at the time. It was believed a right of first refusal was included in its lease, but that could not be confirmed at publication time. It is unknown if the org has a right of second refusal, based on the charter school provision.

When asked if she thought the board should seek proposals first and find a buyer before going to voters, Walsh said she did not think that was required.

“It would be too expensive to taxpayers, holding onto the property,” Walsh said, “when we could use the money (from a sale) to offset other costs to taxpayers.”

The potential value of the property and other issues will be discussed on Monday, followed by a public hearing. Anyone interested in sharing their thoughts will be given the standard 3 minutes to chime in.

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