By STEPHEN SEITZ
Special to the Eagle Times
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Plans for an historic marker to commemorate the Andrews Inn advanced a little Monday night at the Rockingham selectmen’s regular meeting, but the board was not quite ready to offer its formal support just yet.
“I want to know what people in the community think,” said Selectman Gaetano Putignano said.
“I agree,” added Selectwoman Doreen Aldrich. “I have gay friends, but I can’t support this right now.”
For about ten years from the mid-1970s to mid-1980s, the Andrews Inn had a rare distinction for a small town in Vermont: it openly catered to the gay community. It had a bar and a disco, and thrived for a while. The inn was always a subject of controversy, and in the end it had to close due to unsubstantiated rumors of underaged male prostitution.
John Lepman, chairman of the Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission, told the board that the state required a formal applicant, and that the commission would be it.
“The proposal came from a group of people interested in the history,” Lepman said. ”The application to the state hasn’t been officially filed yet.”
Selectman Peter Golec had a practical question.
‘Will it interfere with plowing the sidewalks?” he asked.
‘We’ll probably be placing it in the garden space,” Lepman replied. “It should have a minimal effect on the plowing.”
Golec recalled one of the problems the inn experienced.
“It was a controversial site at the time,” he said. “I recall the vandalism.”
“I hope vandalism won’t happen,” said Lepman. “The state does take a certain responsibility for maintenance.”
Lepman said a letter of support from the board would help the application.
“A letter of support would be worthwhile,” he said, “but I’m not sure we need it legally.”
Later on, Lepman said he understood the need for public comment before going ahead.
“I don’t want people to think it was rushed through before they had a chance to comment on it,” he said.
Robertson Paper Mill ready for demolition
Development director Gary Fox told the board that he had found a low bidder to demolish the old Robertson paper mill on Island Street.
“We have an apparent low bidder,” Fox said. “Their proposal was reasonable.We expect to sign a contract and make an announcement at the end if the month, if not before. We hope to start in September with a completion date of May 2019.”
The Robertson paper mill began operations in the early 1900s, and lasted until 1987. The building has been abandoned, and there are toxic chemicals to be cleaned up.
Fox said the historical society would tour the building to retrieve anything of historic value. He said later that once the toxic chemicals were cleaned up, the site would become a flat green field, with an eye to possible development down the road.
Fox declined to identify the bidder, saying he would rather wait until a contract had been signed.
According to a statement from the state Agency for Commerce and Community Development, the cost to clean the site comes to $1.2 million. The money, according to the statement, comes from several federal, state and local sources.
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