Residents at this month’s Financial Town Meeting will vote on a resolution to authorize the development of the former Carmelite monastery property.

At their recent meeting, members of the Barrington Town Council voted on the specific language for the resolution. 

The resolution, if approved by voters at the May 22 FTM, will allow the Council to sell a portion of the seven-acre property for $1 to a developer to construct a pocket neighborhood including 12 age-restricted cottages. Five of those cottages will be made affordable to low-and-moderate income residents.

The resolution also gives permission to sell off six single-family house lots at fair market value, and build a two-acre public park. In addition, the resolution will give the town permission to demolish the monastery building.

In June 2021, Barrington residents approved the purchase of the monastery property by a narrow margin — 176 residents at the FTM voted to purchase the property while 175 voted against it. And since that vote, residents and town officials have discussed and debated what to do with the property. 

In April, members of the Barrington Town Council signed a deal with a Middletown-based developer, FJS Associates Ltd., to develop the pocket neighborhood. 

At the Council meeting on May 6, Barrington resident Mary Grenier asked officials to explain why the town sold the property to FJS Associates Ltd. for just $1. Grenier said that decision raised a lot of eyebrows.

Council President Carl Kustell told Grenier that people need to look at the project as a whole. He said the town has placed strictures on the project and that Barrington was not aiming to make its money back from the sale of the land for the pocket neighborhood.

Barrington purchased the property for $3.5 million and pays an annual carrying cost of about $313,000 — that money goes to paying down the debt service and also covering the utilities associated with maintaining the building. 

Kustell said the goal for the pocket neighborhood was finding a good developer, not recouping taxpayers’ money. Kustell said the town is willing cede one portion of the property in an effort to achieve its other goals. He said Barrington will recoup some of its investment when it sells the single-family house lots.

Council Kate Berard said the $1 sales price allows the developer to construct a high quality project and still include affordable housing in the development. 

Berard also referenced recent property sales in Barrington. She said the lot at 17 Lorraine St. sold in March for $585,000. Berard said it was a 5,000-square-foot lot in roughly the same neighborhood. She added that the lots at the monastery property may sell for a different price, but it was an approximate comparison. She said a lot sold on Mathewson Road recently for $1.5 million, but added that there were differences between the properties. 

Richard Staples, the town moderator and a former member of the housing board of trustees, said there is a lot of precedent for municipalities selling property for a low cost to developers building affordable housing. He said a lower land price allows the developer to construct nicer housing.

Barrington resident Tom Rimoshytus asked if Barrington would break even on its investment or be “in the hole” $600,000. 

Kustell said the sales prices for the single-family house lots will determine how much money the town will be able to recoup on its investment. He said he was not promising any dollar amounts. 

The town will sell off the single-family house lots individually — they will be subject to deed restrictions that will block them from being further subdivided or merged.

Kustell was pleased with the development plan for the property. He said the proposal is balanced and officials had reduced the housing density that was originally proposed. 

“I think we finally have a balanced plan,” he said. 

“Even though it was difficult, I’m glad we got to this point.”

Berard made the motion to approve the resolution language, and Kustell seconded it. The motion passed, 3-0. (Rob Humm and Annelise Conway were unable to attend the Council meeting on May 6.)

The Town has compiled a webpage with detailed information regarding the property and proposed project.

Recusal

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey recused himself during the monastery development discussion at the May 6 Council meeting.

Kustell explained Hervey’s recusal. He said the developer building the pocket neighborhood, FJS Associates Ltd., had originally planned to use a Realtor to sell the 12 senior cottages. Kustell said the town manager’s wife was employed by the Realtor in an administrative capacity. Kustell said Hervey recused himself upon learning that information, and FJS Associates Ltd. has since parted ways with the Realtor. Kustell said the agreement between the town and the developer was signed after Hervey recused himself. 

Kustell later said Barrington Town Planner Teresa Crean is now the point-person between the developer and the town.