BETHEL — Selectmen on Monday put out for discussion whether the town should tear down the Ethel Bisbee School building.
The old school was turned over to the town, at its request, by SAD 44 last year. There had been discussion at the time about the town possibly using the property for recreational purposes.
Selectman Don Bennett said he has made multiple visits to the building with the town’s code enforcement officer. He said Bethel might consider hiring a consultant to evaluate what might be done to upgrade the building, but he saw no advantage in doing that.
“The building is a dinosaur,” he said. “My suggestion is to ask for bids to have it torn down, and the hole filled in so it’s ready for what we might do with it.”
Selectmen Peter Southam said it would be expensive to make the building “into something else.”
Town Manager Christine Landes said she had obtained an informal estimate of $35,000 to take the building down and dispose of the debris. She said the Fire Department would not burn it down because of its village location.
Bennett said the building is free of asbestos.
Landes said it currently costs $50 a month for electricity in the building, and added that there has recently been some vandalism in it. ‘Some kid will break in and get hurt,’ she said.
The board agreed to gather citizen opinion and discuss the options further, but decided against putting the question on the June 10 Town Meeting warrant.
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