Town buys 2 School Street for $791,000

The Community Housing Board (CHB) got some promising news Thursday, Jan. 15, with word the Town had won its bid to acquire 2 School Street for $791,000. The agreement appears ready for a closing within 30 days.

Once the Town owns the property, it will be assessed in terms of its best use and entered into the Facilities Master Plan. “One of the better uses might be for housing,” Deputy Supervisor Meg Larsen said.

A bid just prior to the Town’s was for $790,000 and bids were being accepted in increments of $1,000, thus the Town’s bid of $791,000, Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams said.

As for the Town’s bid on the property, Councilman Benjamin Dyett originally said the price would not be disclosed until after the closing. Ms. Larsen and Mr. Dyett are liaisons to the CHB.

According to Town Assessor Judith Lechmankski, the current assessed value is $1,140,000. Town Records show the house was built in 1950 and has had some minor building replacements, such as a new roof and windows in 2017. Ms. Lechmanksi’s office has property ownership records that begin with Adolph and Ruth Whitney in November 1938. Ownership then went back and forth between Monica Gallagher and the Whitneys. 

In 1963, records show, it was sold to James and Evelyn Taylor from Queens. In 1971, the Taylors sold to Peter and Janet Manikas, and in 1980, Peter Manikas sold the property to David and Sarah Elliot. Fourteen years later, the Elliots sold to Donald and Rebecca Clark for $160,000. And, in 2002, it was finally sold to Robert Mundy for $310,000.

Rumors about the Town’s bid for the property were circulating on social media and turned out to be mainly correct. But not all comments on some sites were correct. One suggested it would cost the Town less to build a new house, without understanding that the Town’s need is for more land to accommodate whatever the 2 School Street site might hold.

That could be an affordable house with the possibility of two apartments. It could also be designed to accommodate a new FIT Center so the one shared by students and the wider community could be reserved just for the students.

Another possibility to be explored is use as a Senior Center, to move seniors into their own space instead of in the basement of the Medical Center. Town officials have not yet been within the house as of the Reporter’s press time, but Mr. Dyett speculated that since the house is set for a closing, a request to inspect the inside will be scheduled.

Last week the Town Board passed a resolution enabling Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams or Town Attorney Thomas Crouch to participate in the auction and if won, to allow for a bond anticipation note not to exceed $2 million that would be subject to a permissive referendum. The advertisement for the property had originally listed bidding would start at $500,000.

In other activities last week, the CHB Advisory Board:

• Nominated Bran Dougherty-Johnson to replace Liz Hanley as chairman since Ms. Hanley was  elected to the Town Board. That recommendation will go to the Town Board for confirmation.

• Discussed, without identifying, several applicants who would like to join the CHB. 

• While awaiting a Community Development Long Island (CDLI) agreement on a letter of intent to work with the Town on 10 units of affordable rental units, there is work to draft formal contracts that will eventually be needed between the Town and CDLI and its partners.

• Began work on a lottery system to select occupants of the rentals, with a brief discussion to learn from other municipalities on how they were able to favor volunteer EMTs and firefighters.

• Worked on a posting board of landlords who have rentals available and applicants seeking those rentals.

Mr. Dougherty-Johnson said communication with Town consultants Nelson Pope Voorhis to carry out a study of housing needs indicates it would cost more than anticipated. The cost would probably be at least $45,000 while the CHB has $35,000 in grant money available for the study.

Mr. Dougherty-Johnson also told his CHB colleagues the Community Housing Fund currently totals $1.51 million, which is from money generated by a real estate transfer tax paid by most buyers of Island properties.