TRANSFER OF PROPERTY/23 MAPLE STREET

To see if the Town will vote to transfer property located at 23 Maple Street, Arlington MA 02476 from the jurisdiction of the Redevelopment Board to the jurisdiction of the Town Manager; or take any action related thereto.

(Inserted at the request of the Town Manager)

(5 - 0)

The Board endorses this action to transfer the responsibility for maintenance and management of the current temporary Inspectional Services Department offices from the Arlington Redevelopment Board (“ARB”) to the Town Manager, who manages and maintains all other Town-owned buildings through the Facilities Department.  In brief, the ARB gained custody of 23 Maple Street, the Central School and Jefferson Cutter House (the latter two addressed in Articles 22 and 23) pursuant to its “urban renewal” powers under G.L. c. 121B and section 17 of the Town Manager Act.  Consistent with those powers, the ARB successfully rehabilitated and redeveloped each of the blighted or underutilized properties decades ago.  Such properties are now more efficiently managed by the Town Manager especially given that the Town itself is a major tenant within these spaces and the significant work of managing capital projects such as the recent Central School renovation.

The ARB voted to approve the transfer of these properties with the understanding and expectation than a Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement shall be executed between the Manager and the ARB to keep the ARB involved in discussions about the use and occupancy of these buildings.  The ARB is pleased with the current tenancies of both Jefferson Cutter and the Central School, but would like to assist in identifying the best uses of the 23 Maple Street after Inspectional Services relocates to their renovated offices.  Current tenants other than the Town itself will be unaffected by the change in management responsibility between the ARB and the Town.