Today’s coverage includes a three-part GOOD Morning Wilton series stemming from recent Wilton Capital Planning Committee discussions. The stories examine questions about the committee’s scope, whether historic value is being adequately reflected in its capital planning framework, and how those issues intersect with the future of a highly visible Town-owned historic property — the Yellow House at Ambler Farm. PLUS, we have a bonus feature about potential interest by a ‘mystery’ party interested in buying the Gilbert & Bennett property.
In a lengthy Jan. 7 meeting of the Wilton Capital Planning Committee that delved into the details of capital spending needs for numerous municipal facilities, the conversation eventually turned to the historic, Town-owned Gilbert & Bennett school building.
“Hold that thought,” First Selectman Toni Boucher interjected as a fellow WCPC member broached the topic.
“I can’t say it publicly, but there [is] an interested party,” she said, suggesting there is a potential buyer for the beleaguered and shuttered historic building.
After the meeting, GOOD Morning Wilton emailed Boucher several questions, asking her to characterize the interest, how far along the process was, the intended use, and whether the interest also included the two adjacent residential parcels owned by the Town.
She declined to answer those questions, merely stating, “We do not have a proposal to consider at this time,” and, “[We] do not have anything to disclose yet.” (She did confirm, as of Monday, Jan. 12, that interest in the property still remained.)
Boucher was more willing to respond to a question about historic preservation.
“I have been very public on the goal that the building is historically preserved,” Boucher wrote in an email exchange.
That public stance goes back to January 2025, when Boucher tried to quell earlier rumors and fears about potential commercial redevelopment of the property.
“My primary concern is that whoever is interested [in buying G&B] would need to preserve the historic character of the building and have the funds to fix it,” Boucher said at the time, offering her assurances that development plans were not on the table.
To say the building has historical significance is no exaggeration. Not only is the property within one of Wilton’s Local Historic Districts, but it is also within the National Register’s Georgetown Historic District, and the G&B building itself is a National Register-designated building.
Boucher’s brief announcement about the latest interest in G&B was enough to generate some public comment at the end of the WCPC meeting, including two residents who expressed some consternation.
Penelope Koechl said she was “concerned” at the news, and “there are a lot of people in town who care about the building and would like to see something socially responsible or community-oriented” done with it. She added that she hoped “no one would take it upon themselves to hastily make a decision” and “for now, it really should be properly remediated and maintained.”
Another resident, Lorie Paulson, said she agreed with Koechl’s statements and was not in favor of selling the property “without having first explored all the ways the community might use it.”
Do Residents Even Have a Say?
The short answer is yes.
According to Nicholas Bamonte, a partner with law Berchem Moses PC, an attorney for the Town, the potential sale of G&B would first require a public hearing, which would occur prior to a vote by the Board of Selectmen on the proposed transaction.
If the BOS voted in favor of proceeding, the matter would then go to a formal Town Meeting vote, where Wilton voters would be given the final decision.
But Boucher said residents do not need to wait until then, and she encouraged them to express their views. She noted she has had some “good conversations” with residents who have stopped by Town Hall to discuss the topic with her, and all residents are free to make public comment at any Board of Selectmen meeting.
At the same time, Boucher is also clear about employing confidential executive sessions before any information is disclosed with the public.
Executive Sessions
“If actual interest is put before us, it is discussed in executive session,” Boucher wrote in an email exchange. “No details of an executive session can be made public until the BOS feels that it would like the town to consider a proposal.”
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) does permit certain matters to be discussed by Town officials in confidential executive sessions, out of the public’s view, for narrowly defined reasons, including “discussion of the selection of a site or the lease, sale or purchase of real estate… when publicity would adversely impact the price.”
While previous executive sessions related to G&B may have been legitimate, they appeared to some residents as “back room deals” and sparked criticism of the Town for “lack of transparency” about plans for the building. In March 2025, the Board of Selectmen held a “refresher course” on FOIA requirements. Two attorneys cautioned Boucher that executive sessions were not appropriate in all circumstances.
“You do have to [reach] the conclusion that it would affect the value or the terms by discussing this in public,” Town attorney Ira Bloom said at the time. “That is often the case. It’s not always the case.”
The Process The Town Should Follow
Boucher has received the latest guidance from the Town’s legal counsel in a memo outlining “the process under state and local law that the Town must follow when considering the sale of existing Town property.”
Boucher shared the memo with GMW. Although it was dated fairly recently (Nov. 25), the guidance is very similar to previous legal opinion which Boucher shared with GMW last January. To summarize the various steps in the process:
- Initial Interest Inquiry: Prospective buyer communicates interest in acquiring Town property to First Selectman’s office. Prospective buyer meets with First Selectman, the Director of Planning & Land Use Management/Town Planner, and other necessary staff to review feasibility of intended future use and development of property.
- Negotiation: Town and the prospective buyer negotiate terms, including price. A price is usually set after the Town receives a fair market value appraisal. Often the Town will ask the prospective buyer to pay for this appraisal.
- Agreement: All terms are first memorialized in a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and later in a binding Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA). Discussion and approval of the PSA by the Board of Selectmen (BOS) is required, and the BOS must authorize the First Selectwoman to sign. The BOS will review the PSA and the proposed terms in non-public executive session, but any vote for or against proceeding with the proposal must occur during a duly noticed public meeting after a public hearing.
- BOS Public Hearing: Under Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 7-163e, the Board of Selectmen must conduct a public hearing about the planned sale. This hearing would occur prior to the public vote by the BOS on the proposed transaction.
- Planning and Zoning Commission report: Under Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 8-24, a request for a positive report to approve the sale must be obtained. P&Z would hold a public meeting to discuss and to issue their report.
- Special Town Meeting: A Town Meeting to approve a proposed sale may be re- quired for several reasons, including for a property whose value exceeds 1% of the total annual budget; for any property not in a residential zoning district; or whenever the BOS deems it “necessary or desirable.”