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At Wednesday’s special meeting of the Affordable Housing Trust Committee (AHTC), members voted to tell the Select Board the committee is “willing and ready” to take ownership of the 20 Glenwood Ave. property to create affordable housing on the site. The Select Board had agreed to sell it to the abutters for $40,000 because that was the only proposal they got through an RFP. See https://www.winchesternews.org/news/2023-september/sept-24-town-sells-home-for-40k
The AHTC said they would take ownership of the property after checking on the condition of the property, as well as looking at any zoning issues, and getting an estimate of construction costs. The committee said it’s ready to demolish the building using “readily available Trust funds.” At the AHTC meeting Select Board Member Mike Bettencourt pointed out technical flaws in the RFP process and indicated that the initial acceptance of the RFP offer did not yet create ownership for the abutters. The Select Board could therefore withdraw their acceptance.
The Housing Partnership Board met the next evening and gave unanimous approval to the AHTC’s offer.
Although the AHTC presented this offer to the Select Board at Thursday’s meeting, the board decided to discuss it at their next meeting on Oct. 16 when Town Counsel would be available.