Thoughts related to Chronicle story 11/15/2012: Tug of War on South Main Continues; Hanney still holds deed despite pressure to sell by Sally Kuhn

It seems the gloves are off! “War!” Well let’s try to get our facts straight, get level-headed, and get in position to make decent decisions about the Old Town Hall.

Sally’s article confirms that the BOS are meeting in Executive Session regarding the Old Town Hall.  

Comment: FYI that means they are most likely planning to discuss litigating a solution. Let’s see, how does that choice work out for the town in the past… hmmm…  I wonder if all the negotiating opportunities have run out. (What negotiating, you rightly ask?!) Not to mention the fund raising to buy and renovate the building. (What fund raising you rightly ask?!) Once again, the town goes forward with too little information.

So many questions for that Executive Session!  If there was to be an open citizen’s inquiries at the November 19 meeting, I would want to ask a pile of questions, they are posted above.

The article asserts that the Ipswich Playhouse Society (IPS), the non-profit trying to buy the building, has been working on it since 2010.

Comment: In fact, these well intentioned and persistent folks have been involved one way or another since 2004, trying a variety of ways to move the project ahead. This BLOG cites many attempts to raise funds, buy or lease the building, etc. The IPS group received the formal BOS approval to buy the building on  May 24, 2010, but for all practical purposes the core members of this group have been at it for closer to 7 or 8 years, and to date they have not raised any funds. So, the group may be dedicated and certainly well-intentioned but they are to date - unfortunately - without key results. Some have said that many if not most of the people in that group are no longer active and have not been for a long time. I stand to be corrected on that last remark, but I do know several of the people who thought they were a part of that group, and they are not involved or no longer involved.

The article introduces Vera Struck of TerraBluTeams, a non-profit that wants to build carbon neutral property. The article asserts that Struck’s non-profit is interested in buying Old Town Hall.

On November 7, I attended a presentation by Struck and Tom Mayo at Zumi’s, with a hearty (it was a dark and stormy night) audience of about  9 or 10 residents including me, one Selectman, a few teachers, two quiet gentleman, a friendly woman who “didn’t know anybody”, a carbon-neutral advocate from  Appleton Farms…  and others. Here is my review/summary.

The invitation to the meeting referred to Struck’s work in the arena of carbon neutral construction – it cited a few examples, all of which seemed to consist of educational projects in schools, and perhaps one small construction project – it was not clear, the materials and related website were sketchy. The materials also introduced Struck as an award winner for work that helped shape  Fort Point Channel and also noted that Struck was a highly successful artist. You be the judge of all of that; I will try to post links for you.

The presentation was rather incoherent and the content was sketchy. Struck started it off, with a videographer preserving the action (so if you want to form first-hand opinions you should ask to see the replay). Struck read aloud a written presentation for about 10 minutes. Struck asked the audience how many of us would like the Old Town Hall to be carbon neutral (zero carbon footprint) and everyone dutifully raised their hands, and off we went. The presentation consisted of about 5 or 6 slides with the scantiest catch phrases but extremely limited substance.

Tom Mayo spoke for 5 minutes, presenting the floor plans and some schemes about donations to this somewhat donation-challenged audience (speaking for myself?!) J.

There was a quiet Q&A session at the end… one person enthusiastically suggested a carbon neutral project for the schools would be a big hit. The fellow from Appleton spoke highly of the Farm’s house (near the small visitors’ parking lot across from the cow barn), which he said was the only carbon neutral building in Massachusetts.  (That farm house, FYI, is a 9 to 5 kind of thing, offices, not a residence.) At this time, Struck noted that she was looking for any building in Ipswich or anywhere else on the North Shore, and that they had only done small projects so far, nothing as large as the Old Town Hall. There did not appear to be any proof of concept for TerraBluTeam’s approach for large commercial buildings.

I asked about the funds for all these lovely ideas. Who was going to pay for it all? Was Struck going to buy the building and pay for it? How? Struck and Mayo both responded, saying they would both raise funds, but were unable to articulate how this would work, no details.

After the meeting, Tom told me that Struck’s group would rent space in the building to teach classes about “getting to zero”. It seemed as if the two groups had not worked out anything in advance. I asked Tom if how much money had been raised over the past X years, and the answer was zero, this is effectively a new start for them.  

Personally, I think carbon neutral is a great goal and making a video about an entire project as a way to encourage others to go neutral is an awesome concept. It could put Ipswich on the map, if it was done at the right time in the right way by the right people with the right money.

The article refers to a caretaker’s room, as part of Struck’s plan.

I wonder what that is all about?

The article notes that Town Counsel George Hall will be at the Executive Session.

By the way, remember that right now only the IPS has the right to buy the building, as approved by the BOS May 24, 2010. As far as I can see, there is no approval for the IPS to directly lease the building from Hanney, nor does there need to be. The deed does not directly address leasing. I would think that Hanney retains the right to lease, so long as the tenant follows the terms of the deed, but what recourse does the Town have if the tenant does not? Another 8 years of deterioration?