KENT, Conn.—Not wanting the future of Swift House to remain in limbo any longer, First Selectman Eric Epstein told the Board of Selectmen Thursday, May 28, that he wanted to go to bonding for preservation of the ancient building.
“I think we should get updated estimates [for the cost of upgrades] and an estimate for bonding” Epstein told his board. “There is an outpouring of support for this building, so let’s do it. The longer we wait, the more it deteriorates.”
But members of his board were more cautious. “I think bonding will scare some people,” said Selectman Lynn Mellis Worthington. “I understand the desire to do it all at once, but maybe we set out a time plan, so it doesn’t go on and on and on.”
Epstein’s move came after he received a report from the Swift House Investigative Team that recommended that the town follow a two-pronged attack in determining what to do with an unused town building that needs extensive repairs. The report recommended that a Friends of Swift House 501 (c) 3 group be formed to conduct fundraising to help meet the cost of renovation, a process that could take years.
The alternate course, if fundraising doesn’t succeed, would be to sell the building to a private citizen or business. In either case, a preservation easement protecting the historic building from demolition would be recorded on its deed.
A number of people came forward during the April budget hearing to plead for funding to help get the building on the National Register of Historic Places, a move they see as essential in applying for federal grants to preserve it. The finance board did not comply.
Epstein said the concept of a community-led Friends “seems like a good idea” but questioned who would facilitate its formation and what the town’s involvement would be. “Would town ownership be transferred?” he asked. “I was disappointed that no potential uses were identified.”
Indeed, the future use of the building, portions of which are said to date back to 1743, is the crux of the problem in deciding whether to preserve it as a town building. Several committees have looked at the problem and the most frequently mentioned uses focus on a welcome center, a place for small community gatherings and an upstairs apartment to generate income. but to put the building into service, it must be made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which could cost up to $2 million.
“The same ideas keep coming up and some people are not happy with that,” acknowledged Selectmen Lynn Harrington, explaining that people question whether it is worth “so much money.” But she sees it as a matter of “rehabbing a building that has significance for the town, no matter what its use.”
Selectman Lynn Mellis Worthington said she still does not believe the whole building needs to be restored at one time. “I don’t believe it will cost the amount of money [architects] Silver Petrucelli said, and that is the only assessment we ever got. We never got a walk-through with local contractors,” she said. “I would love to have local contractors tell us how much they think it will cost. Maybe it’s a different scope of work than Silver Petrucelli’s.”
Harrington noted that local contractors would still have to pay prevailing wages but said they might be able to suggest cost-saving measures.
“I agree that we need estimates,” said Epstein. “But for the grand scheme of trying to get something going, how soon can we get updated numbers to present to the town?”
Administrative Assistant Joyce Kearns said it would be impossible to get valid estimates for an upgrade without telling contractors the future use of the structure. Worthington said it should be for the recurrent theme of a welcome center, meeting space and apartment. “Some people say there are plenty of spaces for meetings in town, but from my own experience, I have found that not to be so for a small gathering,” she observed.
It was decided that the Swift House Investigative Team should be retained and its mission expanded to include helping to form the 501 (c) 3. Worthington noted it can be “pricey” to establish a nonprofit and wondered if the $10,000 in funding for Swift House in the current budget could be used as seed money. Administrative Assistant Joyce Kearns advised, however, that it would be better used for an architectural study for the National Register application.
Worthington said much ground work needs to be done before any petition for bonding is taken to a public vote. “I was totally impressed with how supportive some people have been,” she said, “but we need a lot of publicity and information before a public hearing just to prepare people. If we can get estimates on portions of the plan by September, we could have a public hearing in the fall, but its almost like we need parallel paths to form the 501 (c) 3, and to get on the National Register. It can happen at the same time if we have people to help.”
