Urbanna eyes selling its Cross St. offices

by Tom Chillemi –

During public comment period at the Urbanna Town Council’s June 9 meeting, Urbanna resident Billy Mayo asked the town council what the plan is for the old town hall.

The town offices recently moved out of the office on Cross Street to the Waverly Commons building just outside of the west town boundary.

The old town hall is more than 100 years old and has several issues, including a bulging wall, an unstable foundation, and a broken air conditioner, among other things, including that it did not comply with the American Disabilities Act.

On Nov. 18, 2021, council voted to approve a lease for office space at Waverly Commons, just west of the town limits across from the Urbanna firehouse. The lease is for “up to 24 months” at a monthly rent of $3,336, said town council’s attorney Andrea Erard. The rent is just more than $40,000 per year.

Permanent

It appears the move to the new office could become permanent.

Councilor Steve Hollberg replied to Mayo’s question explaining the town council is considering buying the Waverly Commons property and selling the old town hall. Town council has directed Town Administrator Garth Wheeler to have the property appraised, so the town can get a fair price for it, said Hollberg.

Once the town has pending yearly audits completed, the town can finance purchasing the entire Waverly Commons property, said Hollberg, adding that then the town can rent the front portion of the building to finance the mortgage. “It is (will be) cash neutral at that point. Until that time we are bleeding some cash right now.”

Adding land to Urbanna

The new town office is on land that the town is seeking to make part of Urbanna. Near the end of the June 9 meeting, council voted to begin the process of having the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors approve a “land boundary adjustment” that would add about 20 acres…