School board tie stalls Boys & Girls Club lease; city will explore Mascoma Street site

City Manager Andrew Hosmer reported that a school board vote on a proposed letter of intent or lease with the Boys and Girls Club of Central and Northern New Hampshire ended in a 4–4 tie, causing the motion to fail.

Hosmer said the tied vote leaves the possibility of a childcare facility at the SAU property in doubt. As a follow-up, the city council requested staff begin preliminary discussions about using 226 Mascoma Street — a city-owned parcel adjacent to the cemetery — as an alternate location for the club.

If staff and the Boys and Girls Club reach agreement on terms, Hosmer said any formal lease agreement would need to be approved by the city council before it becomes binding. He described the Mascoma Street site as the commission’s Plan C after the council previously considered an airport property and the SAU parcel.

Hosmer said staff will pursue initial conversations to determine whether the parcel suits the club’s needs and will return to the council if negotiations progress toward a lease. No formal motion or vote on a lease took place at the commission meeting.