Barrington Town Council member Annelise Conway is calling for a community meeting to discuss the future of the Carmelite monastery property.

During the July 24 Council meeting, Conway said officials spoke previously about having a meeting with residents to listen to their concerns. 

“We talked about having that meeting during the summer. Summer is close to almost gone, so I wanted to make sure we had that meeting before we move forward with any actions or next steps,” Conway said. 

“As far as I’m concerned, we have not received neighborhood comment as a body.”

Other members of the Council supported the idea of a community meeting, although officials did not select a day or location. Council President Carl Kustell said the meeting would offer a good opportunity to discuss the recent appraisal completed on the monastery property, and Town Manager Phil Hervey said the town will also have new images detailing the Planning Board’s recommended development. 

That plan includes a small pocket neighborhood, the creation of single family house lots, and the preservation of some open space. It also requires the existing monastery building be demolished — twice the community has voted to preserve the building. 

Kustell said the Planning Board’s recommendation was much better received than previous iterations of the development. 

The meeting may also serve as an opportunity to answer some questions Paige Barbour has asked about the proposed development. Barbour, who lives near the monastery, earlier submitted a list of questions to town officials that served as the basis for an FAQ (frequently asked questions) by the town.

At the Council meeting late last month, Barbour thanked officials for providing answers to some of her questions, but said there were a few points that still needed to be addressed. 

She asked if the town had fully explored an adaptive use of the monastery building. Barbour said an earlier study of the building by the firm SignalWorks had “danced around” the subject without providing a clear answer. Barbour also asked if town officials had explored available grant money for repurposing the building. 

In addition, Barbour said the town not have a clear picture of what is happening with the proposed development of the former Zion Bible College property in the north end of town. She said it would be wise to share that information before moving forward with the monastery development. 

Barbour’s final request was for a cost estimate for the demolition of the monastery building. 

Starting over?

Deb Nyser lives in the monastery neighborhood and spoke at the recent Council meeting. She said the town needs to start over with the development process. 

Nyser said special interests had impact the process. “We wasted a lot of time,” she said. “We need to start again. Square one.”

Nyser said the process felt like the town was on a hamster wheel. 

Council members did not agree with starting anew. Kustell said the development process was in a good spot. Rob Humm agreed that the process felt a bit like a hamster wheel but had now reached a good place and did not need to start over. Humm also said that he needed to listen to the public’s comments before he would be comfortable moving forward on the Planning Board’s recommended development. 

Kustell felt similarly. The Council President said he needed more feedback from the public before placing the Planning Board recommendation on an upcoming Council meeting agenda. 

“And I think that given the reception of the Planning Board’s approval that is something we have to take very, very seriously,” Kustell said. 

Concerns

Nyser offered a warning to town officials about the property — she said she has noticed some troubling activities at the quiet seven-acre parcel. 

Nyser said she was driving by the property at 25 Watson Ave. recently and saw someone “doing doughnuts” in the parking lot. She said people are hiding in the wooded areas. 

“We’ve got shacks out there,” she said, adding that people are doing drugs on the property.

“Something bad is going to happen,” Nyser said. 

The Adelaide Avenue resident said she did see police stop by the property recently to ticket vehicles that were illegally-parked. The property is located near the beach and has long had issues with people parking there illegally. 

“It can’t stay the way it is,” Nyser said.