Deerfield panel votes to ask Select Board for church removal RFP
Other Committee · Meeting of May 27, 2026
Deerfield senior housing panel votes to seek Select Board approval for church removal RFP. The Ad Hoc Senior Housing Committee, chaired by Lili with members Blake Gilmore, Kathy Sylvester and Carolyn Ness, voted 3-0 to send the Select Board a letter requesting authorization to issue a request for proposals for removal of the former St. James Church and rectory at 83-85 North Main Street, offered for nominal consideration of "one dollar" with the foundation left in place to preserve the site's ORAD status.
Gilmore reported contacting a diocesan chancellor he identified as "Father Pierce" about the church's future. Ness detailed a Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources pilot-community grant application, tied to a meeting with state Sen. Joe Comerford, meant to link farmland preservation to future senior housing.
The committee also voted 4-0 to meet in person next week with town official Sharon Pachorek on senior heating and cooling assistance.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 853 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 27, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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