The Town of Northborough Community Preservation Committee on Jan. 2 heard updated cost estimates and a funding request tied to the White Cliffs historic mansion and its later additions, but members differed on whether to advance payments without a clear long‑term plan for the property.

Laurie, a staff member who presented the update, said a 2020 demolition estimate of $454,400 has been adjusted upward by about 35% because of inflation and other factors and that a demolition estimate now sits at “$613,440,” a figure she described as “a very, very rough back‑of‑the‑envelope” estimate. Laurie asked the committee to add $6,770 to an earlier line item to pay for a licensed site professional (LSP) to assess hazardous materials in the additions; including a 15% contingency, Laurie said that assessment request totals $93,940.

The committee’s discussion focused less on the immediate assessment request than on the larger question of what the town intends to do with the property. “If you wanna be honest, you have to show those full picture,” said Norman Corbin, a resident who spoke during the public hearing, urging the committee to present a multistep plan that shows expected future costs as well as the near‑term demolition and remediation work.

Several committee members and residents said removal of the non‑historic additions is a necessary first step toward preservation and potential eligibility for historic‑property programs such as the National Register. Laurie and other speakers noted the demolition estimate does not include hazardous‑material mitigation, which would be additional and depends on the LSP’s findings.

Others on the committee urged more explicit endorsements from the Select Board and clearer direction before the Town seeks larger sums. One committee member said they could not support spending significant CPA funds unless the town provides a defined end use for the restored building or a commitment to fund later phases.

Laurie said she had raised the White Cliffs issue with the Select Board and that the Select Board planned to continue the conversation at an upcoming meeting; the committee set a goal of returning to the matter at its February hearing so Select Board feedback can be incorporated into any warrant articles. No formal CPC vote was recorded on the assessment or demolition estimates during the Jan. 2 meeting.

Next steps: the committee asked Laurie to request feedback from the Select Board before the CPC finalizes recommendations and warned members that if the town wants the committee to sponsor work at Town Meeting the CPC must be able to explain how short‑term demolition and remediation fit into a longer restoration and funding plan.