What is the process for the Town to surplus and sell Town-owned property?

Petition articles proposing the surplus and sale of a specific Town-owned property need to be submitted for the Annual Town meeting in early February. The Town Clerk’s office would have more information on this part of the process.

If a petition article is received by the deadline asking the Town to surplus and sell a piece of land, a public hearing is held in March with the Planning Board and Finance Committee to discuss the article and receive public comments. The petitioner is expected to present the article at this meeting and abutters are encouraged to attend and comment.

Following the public hearing, the Property Review Board, a group of Town Departments, meets to make a recommendation to the Town Manager. The Property Review Board consists of the Director of Planning & Conservation who is the Chair, Director of Public Works, Assistant Town Manager, Town Clerk, Principal Assessor, Treasurer/Collector, Building Inspector, Director of Public Health, Conservation Agent, Town Engineer, and Deputy Director of Public Works. The Property Review Board discusses whether there may be any future uses for the Town-owned property to provide a recommendation to the Town Manager as to whether the property is surplus to the Town’s needs and should be sold.

The Town Manager determines whether the property is surplus to the Town’s needs or if the Town should retain the property for a potential future use. If the property is deemed surplus, the article is taken up at the Annual Town Meeting for a vote of whether to sell the property. A minimum sale price is established by the Assessor.

If Town Meeting votes to sell the property, a Request for Proposals (RFP) is advertised to the general public for proposals for purchasing the property. Proposals are evaluated and the most important aspect of the proposal is the proposed price. A bidder is selected and the sale of the property is arranged.