Deciding the Fate of Former Cumberland Farms

Last year the idea of pursuing a STEAP Grant to buy the former Cumberland Farms property on River Road was raised and then dropped. Because two appraisals were needed to apply for the grant, and time was of the essence, the town decided to pursue other opportunities. The idea, however, is back. At the May 1, 2024, Board of Selectmen meeting, First Selectman Bill Morrison put the idea of buying the building back on the table. The property is currently listed for $225,000. 

Amber Wakley-Whaley, Director of Grants and Community Development, said that STEAP still allows for land acquisition grants and reiterated the need for appraisals. She also noted that the STEAP grants are for up to $500,000, so the town should decide what else it would like to do with the property to maximize the potential grant reward.

The town’s realtor, Rob Arute, was on hand and said commercial appraisals cost between $2,000 and $4,000 each. That would mean the town would have to spend several thousand dollars just to apply for the grant. Meanwhile, the town is not sure what the building would be used for, though it’s very interested in putting more municipal parking there. 

According to this mock-up, the propety could provide up to 14 public parking spaces.

In the past, the idea of moving the police station to the building was proposed, but the police were worried about possibly being stuck on the wrong side of the tracks, literally. Several times a day, passing trains stop the flow of traffic, and the police worry about their ability to get across when needed. 

Morrison says office space is sorely needed in Town Hall and the building could ultimately serve as an outpost. Donald Passardi, who was in the audience, said he would prefer to see the building returned to commercial use, but there’s one major problem with that idea. Cumberland Farms intends to incorporate deed restrictions on the property, severely restricting what will be allowed on the property in perpetuity. 

Arute listed a number of uses that would not be allowed according to the deed restrictions, such as a quick-serve restaurant, a vape shop, a cannabis dispensary, a convenience store, a place for ready-to-eat food, or a package store, among other things. Essentially, anything that could conceivably compete with Cumberland Farms is not allowed on the property. Combine that with the town’s own zoning regulations and the possible uses for the store are limited, and, therefore, so is the buyer pool. 

In other words, it’s unlikely that a commercial operation could or would go into this very prominent downtown location. For what it’s worth, Cumberland Farms regularly includes these kinds of deed restrictions on their old properties. (Here’s one example, complete with an angry First Selectman, and here’s another example with a possible reuse strategy.)

Selectman Rick Hartenstein said that while he is generally in favor of acquiring the property, he was concerned about using STEAP Grant money to do so. In the past, the town has gotten paving grants through the program, and given the current focus on paving, Hartenstein was not sure the Cumberland Farms property is the right use of potential grant funds, especially without a concrete plan. 

Arute suggested that the First Selectman consider writing a letter of intent. This would no commit the town to buying the property, but could help them understand if Cumberland Farms would be willing to negotiate on price. It would also provide a somewhat binding agreement, solving some questions about the grant. For instance, if the town were to apply for and receive grant money to buy the property without any commitment from Cumberland Farms, the company could then sell the property to someone else, raising many questions about what would then happen to the grant funds. 

Ultimately, Hartenstein and Morrison—Selectman Kurt Vail was absent—decided to table the discussion until later while continuing to explore options. Stay tuned.