Swift House left out of funding round

KENT — The recent allocation of STEAP grants across Northwest Corner municipalities did not include Kent’s $1 million proposal to fund its renovation of the historic Swift House into an updated and ADA-compliant facility for daily town use.

The Swift House has been largely vacant in recent years, and its utility to the town has become a long term subject of debate amongst officials and residents. The selectmen applied for the STEAP (Small Town Economic Assistance Program) with aspirations of moving the town’s food bank from the Community House on North Main Street to the first floor of the Swift House, which it would share with a large event and meeting space and the permanent offices of the Social Services department.

At the May 30 town meeting, resident Matt Starr singled out the Swift House as a large project that takes up space on the Capital Plan, sees little progress and doesn’t get enough public input.

First Selectman Marty Lindenmayer said the Board of Selectmen would be looking to community collaboration to plan for next steps.

“The board and town will be taking up the conversation… to figure out what the heck we do next,” said Lindenmayer to the assembled residents.