Freetown Select Board Approves $25,000 ARPA Study for Old Schoolhouse Reuse

FREETOWN — January 8, 2024 — Freetown Select Board votes to spend $25,000 in ARPA funds studying reuse of the historic Old Schoolhouse for town office space. The 2-0 vote at the January 8 meeting came with Town Administrator Deb Chaves outlining a broader plan that could direct as much as $450,000 in already-appropriated federal ARPA money — currently earning interest on a balance of roughly $1 million — toward full renovation of the building, contingent on the study confirming ADA compliance, septic viability, and bathroom installation are feasible. Chaves described the town's space situation at Town Hall as a "crisis," with four Board of Health employees sharing a 12-by-12 office and no rentable alternatives available locally. The board also voted unanimously to place a non-binding question on the April 1, 2024, annual Town election asking voters their preference between a roundabout and a traffic signal at the Four Corners intersection, with both options estimated at approximately $1 million and grants expected to cover roughly half; ballot question language must reach Town Clerk Cheryl Estrella by February 26.