Stoughton library booked for demolition

Ground was broken-or at least some houses were.

After years spent pushing for additional parking at Stoughton Public Library, the construction began last week.

Construction crews leveled the two homes adjacent to the library in preparation for an extended parking lot.

"The parking was insufficient the day it was built," said Library Director Pat Basler.

Built in 1969, the library has also needed a handicap-accessible elevator, as their current freight elevator doesn't cut it. Both parking and elevator improvements have been a part of the library trustees' long-range plan, Basler said.

The Ribeiro and Barbour families agreed to sell their homes a few years ago to the town so the library could extend its parking lot.

"The library is very grateful to the previous owners of these two homes… for helping us to finally build additional parking," Basler said.

About 10 years ago, the library and the town tried to set up a right of first refusal with the Barbours and the Ribeiros so that whenever they were ready to sell their homes, the town got the first crack at it. While the agreement was never set in stone, years later both homeowners decided to sell their homes to the town at fair market value.

A few years ago, Town Meeting representatives granted the town approval to spend about $575,000 on the homes. At first, the town was hesitant to appropriate further funds for the demolition and construction of the parking lot since it had already spent a big chunk on the homes, Basler said.

The town decided to get some use out of the homes before building the parking lot. In the past, the vacant homes were used for both fire department rescue technique training and regional police drug enforcement training, Basler said.

That's where the South Shore Habitat for Humanity came in.

South Shore Habitat for Humanity is an independent, non-profit organization that works to provide families of low-income with homes, entirely through its own fundraising, volunteer recruitment and publicity. It was founded in 1986 and has completed 43 homes in 18 communities since that time.

The library trustees approached the South Shore Habitat for Humanity and the two groups came to an agreement; Habitat for Humanity would cover the cost to demolish one home and move the second, and in return the town would give the organization three plots for affordable housing. It didn't work out quite like that, as it was determined moving the second home would not be feasible and in turn, it was demolished as well, but the deal likely saved the town about $30,000, Basler said.

<p style="text-indent: 0in;"> "It seemed like a win, win," Basler said.

The library needed help with funding the demolition, and Habitat for Humanity had been trying to build a home in town, considering it has homes built in every town neighboring Stoughton, Basler said.

"It's really been a nice project in that so many people have volunteered to help," Basler said.

The non-profit organization currently has plans to build three homes in Stoughton. The organization is currently well into fundraising for its first home. In September, Habitat for Humanity was about $12,000 short of its first goal of $70,000, which would allow it to begin construction on the first home.

This year, after the agreement with Habitat for Humanity was set, Town Meeting representatives approved $100,000 for the new parking lot, Basler said.

"We're hoping to get a firm hired in the next month to manage the project," Basler said, adding the landscape of the area has made the project complex. "It's been a great cooperative effort between the town, the library, the homeowners and the South Shore Habitat for Humanity."

Basler said she thought the lot could be complete by next summer.

If you wish to make a donation, money can be sent to South Shore Habitat for Humanity-Stoughton Build, P.O. Box 245, Stoughton, MA 02072. Habitat for Humanity asks donations be designated for Stoughton in the memo line on checks.