Selectman Review Status of Coast Guard Property

By Elizabeth Hacala

The Board of Selectmen reviewed the status of the Coast Guard property at their meeting on May 27.  The selectmen began by reviewing a memo from Richard Reed, the Town Manager, outlining the process the Coast Guard has selected to auction the property.

According to the memo, the Coast Guard has elected to sell the property through the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).  The GSA is currently having the property appraised and preparing other necessary documents for the sale, which is expected to happen in the next two to three months.  The property will be sold through auction at the same time the Coast Guard sells two other properties, one in Hull and one in Wakefield.

Once the property is posted there is a  one to two month bidding period. The property will be posted on the GSA’s real estate auction web site prior to the bidding period. When bidding has closed, the winning bidder will have 60 days to complete the transaction before the property is offered to the next highest bidder.

Bedford does have the opportunity to post information about the current zoning of the property and other related information on the website for prospective bidders.

Selectman Bill Moonan asked if this was a process that the town would be able to interrupt if Bedford were interested and able to pay a fair market price for the property.

Reed indicated we would need to discuss that with the Coast Guard personnel.  He  said this is one of two processes the Coast Guard has available to them to dispose of the property.

Selectman Carolyn Fedele asked if there had been conversations with the other two towns that have property up for sale. Reed indicated there had not been; Fedele suggested there might be some benefit in reaching out to the other two municipalities.

Selectman Mike Rosenberg asked if the town had considered buying the property, either for its own use or for later resale.  Selectman Moonan pointed out that any such purchase would require the action of town meeting and would likely require a Special Town Meeting, which could be difficult in the bidding timeline. Selectman Mark Siegenthaler indicated that there might be other groups in town  with their own funds, such as the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, that might be interested in the property as well.

The Board of Selectman and the Town Manager’s office are continuing to monitor the process and continuing conversations with the Coast Guard. The selectmen are planning to keep this on their agendas for the next several meetings so they can review and discuss the process as it unfolds.