“Too Many Unknowns”: BOF Endorses 9 Bonding Projects But Balks on Support for Ambler Farm House Renovation

In one of the final steps in the budget-setting process for Fiscal Year 2026, the Wilton Board of Finance Tuesday night (Apr. 8) reviewed the 10 capital bonding projects proposed by the Board of Selectmen to bring to the Annual Town Meeting on Tuesday, May 6.

While it unanimously endorsed nine of those projects for a total of $8.3 million in bonding, the BOF balked at giving its support to the 10th one, a renovation project at Ambler Farm that will require the town approve a $1.3-million bond.

The BOF’s role is merely advisory in this situation, as it’s the selectmen that will officially bring the bonding recommendations before the Annual Town Meeting.

“We’re providing an opinion, so it’s up to the Board of Selectmen, whether we say ‘Yes’ or ‘No,’ whether they continue with going forward,” BOF Chair Matt Raimondi said, “but it’s my opinion as a fiduciary of the town, I wonder if we’re exposing the town to some risk here by not capping the amount of ongoing liabilities that we have.”

Consequently, the BOF chose to entirely omit the Ambler Farm project from a unanimous vote that gave its blessing to the nine other items brought forward by the BOS, including a range of school facilities projects and road restoration.

Raimondi said there was “no vote” officially on the matter of Ambler Farm, but after more than an hour of discussion it was clear that Wilton’s financiers had several big questions and concerns that prevented them from endorsing the project.

“What I’ve heard around the table is, everyone supports Ambler in principle and what it does for the community and what it is as an amenity,” Raimondi said.

“I think the concerns expressed relate to, in our roles as fiduciaries in town, understanding the financial obligations that we’re signing up for,” he said.

“I’m a supporter of Ambler Farm, I really am, but in many ways we’re gonna ask the town to spend $1.3 million for an open-ended liability, effectively,” Raimondi said, echoing the concerns of other board members.

Spelling Out the Details with a Lease

The town bought the 22-acre property from the Ambler Trust in 1999 with a deed stipulation that required the town to maintain and renovate the property and its buildings in order to preserve the agricultural heritage of the Town of Wilton and make it available for educational purposes. If those conditions were not fulfilled the land could be “reaquired” by the trust.

The independent non-profit Friends of Ambler Farm (FOAF) was created to operate and care for the property. After it took on the role as the property’s steward on behalf of the Town in 2005, FOAF expanded the programming and increased the number of visitors to the farm. It is now widely regarded as one of Wilton’s most visible amenities.

For the first time, the town is hoping to arrange a lease agreement with FOAF in order to clarify questions of responsibility and obligations, as well as provide the nonprofit with additional grant opportunities. The BOS and FOAF are currently involved in closed-door negotiations.

“We’re in the process of finalization of a lease with Ambler Farm, and that has been like 15- or 20 years in the making,” First Selectman Toni Boucher told the BOF in her presentation Tuesday evening.

The project proposed for bonding is renovating the Raymond-Ambler House — most commonly referred to as “the White House” — as specified in the deed. Built between 1799 and the 1820s, the house is seen by FOAF as the centerpoint to the town’s obligation set out by the deed.

FOAF officials want to see the decaying facilities improved and expanded, have said it’s the Town’s responsibility as laid out in the deed to fund it, telling the BOS in February, “This May’s Annual Town Meeting will be the 25th anniversary of Wilton residents and taxpayers overwhelmingly approving the purchase of Ambler Farm. Twenty-five years later, the Town’s obligation to the property’s historic buildings remains unfulfilled.”

In her presentation to the Board of Finance, Boucher said that renovation of the Raymond Ambler House is a “necessary component of Ambler Farm programming goals” and will “provide much needed office/administration space for FOAF staff.” In addition, it will “provide 24 hour presence and supervision of the facility,” by including a small living space.

“This is a very significant town asset and it’s become a favorite destination … Right now there’s an urgent need for additional indoor space,” Boucher said of Ambler. 

Friends of Ambler Farm: ‘We are a Cost Savings to the Town.’

Ashley Kineon, FOAF executive director, pointed out that the nonprofit has covered more than $10 million in costs for running the farm since its inception and is largely self-supporting.

Last year, the FOAF covered $115,000 in exterior painting and roofing replacement costs for both the red barn and carriage barn, as well as gutter replacement for the carriage barn, which would be considered town responsibility under the Town’s deed.

“I think we’ve gone above and beyond what was ever expected of us,” she said.

“Our track record is stellar, and we’re excited to create additional opportunities for the community,” she said.

“The program revenue that we generate basically supports all of our expenses,” Kineon said, although the town covers annual utilities, exterior maintenance and peripheral items, which this year were budgeted at $42,050.

Kineon said Ambler has an operating budget of $1.1 million, most of which it covers through revenue it generates and grant money.

“This is a cost savings to the town. We are not a drag on the town … You guys need to allow us to be successful,” she said.

BOF: ‘We Still Have Questions’

But for some town officials, questions remain as to exactly what the town is responsible for in terms of cost for any expansion and improvements beyond building exteriors.

While voicing “huge support” for Ambler, BOF Vice Chair Stewart Koenigsberg led the way in questioning the project and future costs that could fall into the town’s lap.

“I think there are just some things we need clarity around,” he said, starting with whether the town would be responsible for significantly increased utility costs after upgrading the facilities.

Having toured the facility, he said he believed the renovation work planned for the Raymond Ambler House appeared to be of a greater scope than the deed agreement required.

“That’s not to say I wouldn’t be supportive of it … but I think we have a responsibility to be clear that the scope (is) larger than what is absolutely bottom-line required under the deed,” Koenigsberg said.

“The wording in the deed suggests we have to bring it up to code and keep the building standing,” he said. “It doesn’t talk about the quality of the building.”

He raised questions about requirements for an elevator to satisfy the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, noting that this and other unanswered questions made it hard to give support.

“The building itself is a very old building, so I wonder if we really had people who were truly expert in renovating antique buildings,” he said.

“My gut tells me that we probably don’t have all that information,” he said, questioning whether more money would be needed for the renovations when all was said and done.

Boucher pointed out that around $650,000 was already in hand through the Ambler Trust and previously bonded funds, with the entire project estimated to cost just under $2 million.

Jeff Pardo, assistant director of the Department of Public Works, shared his own expertise in the preservation of historic buildings. While he stated there remained some unanswered questions about exactly what ADA requirements might be necessitated and at what cost, Pardo said that the project would not benefit from being delayed any longer.

“Just strictly from a construction point of view … you wait an additional year, it’s an additional year of deterioration,” he said, adding that new questions about international tariffs could also impact material costs.

“We’re evaluating the ADA, but as far as antique buildings … I’m pretty confident about it and we’ll handle all the challenges, and there are going to be challenges,” Pardo said. “Historical buildings require babysitting.”

While there had initially been a push to also bond for work on another structure on the property known as the Yellow House, the BOS decided to postpone that consideration for this year, even though it was among the top recommendations of the Town and School Needs Assessment Priorities Committee (TSNAP).

Boucher said her board had discussed the lease in executive session after the BOS meeting on Monday, Apr. 7, and they were close to finalizing an agreement. She said it was possible that they could have it in place, pending a required public hearing, just before the Annual Town Meeting on May 6.

Koenigsberg pressed Boucher about whether the town would be responsible for utilities, as he said he was under the impression through emails he’d received that it would be, but she said it was still being negotiated.

“Based on the status of that agreement, do you have a sense of going forward what the impacting cost to the town will be?” Raimondi asked.

“I think it will be minimal,” Boucher said.

Raimondi expressed misgivings about supporting the bond request prior to the paperwork being completed, along with frustration that it’s taken so long.

“This is not the first time that members of the Board of Finance have brought this up … I brought this up nine months ago and it’s still not done yet,” he said.

“We don’t know what we’re agreeing to,” he said.

Koenigsberg agreed.

“It seems that there’s still a lot of moving parts of this, even though we are supportive of the mission and getting this done,” he said. “As a resident of this town, I think it’s great,” he said, but as a financier, he was left with questions.

Likewise, Raimondi was sympathetic but suggested the BOF abstain from a commitment.

“I really do want to support this, I really do (but) my recommendation would be, let’s just not vote here and move on,” he said.

“We are deciding not to provide an opinion here,” he said.

See more related GMW stories…