Faced with a significant rent increase, that includes a 150-square-foot office, but also portions of three shared public spaces at the General Wait House, the Mad River Path came before the Waitsfield Select Board this month to discuss terms.
The select board, at its January 13 meeting, heard from path association executive director Misha Golfman and path board chair Mac Rood who sought clarification on what appeared to be a rent increase from $108 to $913 a month.
“We need to figure out whether we can afford to stay as tenants. That’s a big jump,” Rood said.
The board noted that the actual increase for renting the office was modest, from $108 to $168 a month with additional charges being assessed because of the organization’s use of shared spaces, including the breezeway between the Wait House and barn, space in the barn and yard/driveway space where canoes are stored on a trailer.
Golfman said that it was important that there is a common understanding between all of the tenants about the uses of the shared common areas and fees associated with using those areas.
“We inherited a mess to clean up the space and the path, with the Friends of the Mad River and planning district, have organized the connector space. We use the same tools and I built a tool rack. We have donated canoes on a trailer that we let people use in the summer and the kiosks that are part of our trail network are stored in the shed along with the stewardMRV trash can protectors,” Golfman said.
“Those fees are to dissuade you. We don’t want to use the Wait House for general storage,” said board member and Waitsfield Historical Society board member Fred Messer.
Select board chair Christine Parisi said the fees for using the storage areas are part of the town’s updating of all the leases for the General Wait House and that seeking rules and protocols for using shared spaces is part of the town’s ongoing efforts to spruce up the Wait House.
“One way to do that is to better manage the property and get a handle on the storage spaces, all the spaces,” Parisi said.
Board member Larissa Ursprung said that there appears to be a misunderstanding or miscommunication between tenants and the General Wait House committee about what is and is not common space.
“We don’t share the same understanding of these shared spaces,” she said.
Parisi questioned why shareMRV materials are being stored at the General Wait House and asked who gave permission for that.
“That’s a problem. People are just doing things without asking for permission. We really need to have a conversation about the short-term and what is practicable and long-term in light of the work that is planned,” she pointed out.
The town’s FY2026 budget includes funds for replacing the roof at the Wait House and the Wait House Commission and town historical society have other improvements planned.
“We haven’t been the best landlords over the years,” board member Brian Shupe said. “What you’re seeing now is an attempt to be better landlords and assess some of the costs in a way that does encourage the use of the building as a nonprofit hub.”
“It’s natural that there’s going to be tension as we move forward because it was lawless before,” Parisi added.
