Abetted by First Selectman Toni Boucher‘s motivation to sell off superfluous town-owned properties, the Wilton Capital Planning Committee gave strong consideration on Wednesday evening, Aug. 13, to unloading two residential properties in Georgetown.

Likewise, committee members appeared to lean toward the idea of finding an interested party that might work to restore, and then possibly lease, the adjacent Gilbert and Bennett School building and property. 

Identified as the “Georgetown Cluster” properties, three particular parcels are under discussion in part because of their adjacent proximity, contiguous along the east side of Danbury Rd., between New St. and Mountain Rd. These include the historic G&B School at 49 New St., which sits on 4.87 acres; a 1,100-sq.-ft., two-bedroom house at 31 New St. that sits on 2.34 acres; and a 1,500-sq.-ft., five-bedroom house at 872 Danbury Rd. (which had previously been incorrectly identified as 7 New St. by town officials) situated on a 1.29-acre parcel.

“My personal view is I just don’t think, holistically, government should be in the business of owning residential properties,” said WCPC member Matt Raimondi, who also chairs the Board of Finance.

WCPC Chair Jeff Rutishauser suggested that 872 Danbury Rd. would be the easiest property to agree on for a sale.

“It is unoccupied to my understanding … If we were considering doing something ourselves we would have to put a lot of money into it,” he said, citing its decay.

“We shouldn’t be in the house rehab business, in my opinion,” Rutishauser said, expecting it would be a poor economic choice to fix it up before selling it.

The appraiser’s card for the property lists it at $501,300, and Rutishauser said the renovation costs would exceed $150,000.

The property at 31 New St. is appraised at $678,100, while the G&B property has an appraised value of $4,819,300.

WCPC member Selectwoman Kim Healy suggested it might be more profitable and productive to sell 872 Danbury Rd. in tandem with 31 New St., which currently has a tenant leasing the house month-to-month.

“Would it be more beneficial to look at it as an entire development opportunity … in case that’s a more lucrative, easier sell?” she said, noting that because G&B was historical it would be a different situation than the two others.

Built in 1915, the former G&B School is on the National Historic Register, thus putting deed restrictions on the property. It was provided to the towns of Redding, Ridgefield and Wilton by the Gilbert & Bennett Manufacturing Company and ultimately ceded to Wilton because it was on its property after the other towns created their own schools, according to Boucher.

“Wilton got it free and clear without any restriction … We can do almost anything with it,” Boucher said.

She noted, however, that there was no intention on the part of the town to use the property for a high-rise, as some have speculated.

“Some neighbors seem to think that the town is going to tear it down and build a high-rise building there,” Boucher said. “That is absolutely not the case. It could never be the case. There are a lot of restrictions on that and something that we probably wouldn’t even want to do. We want to keep the building and restore it, if possible, and give it a better use.”

“But the cost is prohibitive right now,” she said, noting that a $2-million estimate by a two-year-old needs-assessment report is probably low.

Maintaining Ownership of G&B School

While the WCPC had some discussion about the type of developers that might be interested in buying the property, which is zoned for commercial use, Raimondi and Wilton Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Smith suggested it might be prudent for the town to consider holding on to the property and instead leasing it.

“How do we contemplate whether there would be any future interest or value to the town,” Smith said, in maintaining the land for the entire Georgetown Cluster.

“Would somebody ever imagine another use for that?” he said.

While there was general agreement among WCPC members that the Center School and Town Green property in Wilton Center was a long-term rental agreement that might not be in Wilton’s best interest, suggestions were made that a shorter, more profit-oriented lease could serve the town well.

Rutishauser said this was something worth considering.

“You don’t want to sell everything the town has because then you don’t have a way to get it back,” he said.

Healy noted that, potentially in years to come, the G&B mill which is situated just across the line in Redding, could be restored and redeveloped for some use, and that at that point Wilton may wish he had the G&B School property in its possession.

“Wouldn’t it be great if there was a foundation that would want to restore it, maintain it, use it for a museum or some other purpose?” Boucher said.

“I often thought it would be a really beautiful senior center,” she said.

Though Rutishauser identified at least one of the appraisals as being from last year, Boucher said she has been in contact with appraisers to take a look at the properties and get fresh numbers.

Rutishauser said that when they are obtained, the numbers could not be shared publicly, as it would impede negotiations with a buyer.

The Ambler Farm Yellow House

The WCPC also talked briefly about the Platt Raymond House, a.k.a. the Yellow House, at Ambler Farm, and what some of the current options are. The 2,650-sq.-ft., five-bedroom 1890 house is in significant disrepair and it has been estimated that it will take around $1 million to restore it.

“The house is falling apart … It’s being used as a warehouse,” Rutishauser said, with the deed agreement allowing the town to either repair it or knock it down.

“It’s a poor investment for the town,” he said.

Healy said that there was some discussion among members of the Historic District and Historic Property Commission (HDHPC) about taking on the task of privately fundraising to have the house restored.

She suggested the WCPC try and engage with members of the HDHPC to see if there was viable interest in trying to save the structure.

“You do realize there is a political risk to knocking it down,” Boucher said. “You will have people that will not be in favor of that.”

Rutishauser said they would revisit discussion of that property at a future meeting.