The Barrington Town Council will discuss the Carmelite monastery property on Monday night, May 6, and is expected to vote on whether to advance a monastery-specific resolution question to the upcoming FTM.

The Council is expected to review the proposed language for the resolution that could be heard at this year’s Financial Town Meeting. If approved at the FTM, the resolution will open the door for the development on the Nayatt-area property. 

The proposed resolution asks for authorization to demolish the existing monastery structures; sell a 1.56-acre lot for $1 — that lot will be used for the development of a “pocket neighborhood”; and sell off six single-family house lots at fair market value. The resolution also includes using two acres of the property for a public park. 

The “pocket neighborhood” would feature 12 cottage-style single family homes on approximately 1.56 acres. All the homes will be age-restricted to residents 55 and older. Town officials said five of the cottages will also be deed-restricted low- to moderate-income housing. 

Two members of the Barrington Town Council — Carl Kustell and Braxton Cloutier — were expected to discuss the monastery property during an informal meeting at the Bay Spring Community Center on Saturday, May 4, at noon. 

“As with our meetings last summer, we are not using town resources to promote the event,” Kustell wrote in an email. “There will be no formal presentation and this meeting is no substitute for commenting at our formal TC meeting, but it's an additional opportunity to discuss where we are and what the FTM question will look like if the TC votes in favor of sending the question to the FTM. And if there is a matter requiring referral to our Solicitor or Town Planner, this meeting will give us a chance to refer it to them prior to the Monday meeting in order to get it sufficiently answered on Monday night.”