OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford This building on Chestnut Road will host Pomfret’s town hall after renovations.

It’s signed, sealed and delivered: The town of Pomfret has officially completed its purchase of a former church on Chestnut Road for a new Town Hall.

Pomfret Town Supervisor Dan Pacos made the announcement at the Town Board’s September meeting, held at the current Town Hall on Day Street in the village of Fredonia.

“We did issue the payment and closed yesterday on the purchase,” Pacos said. The transfer has been filed with the state through its online “e-filing” system, and once that is processed, the building “is officially ours,” he said.

The building formerly hosted a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, aka Mormon, congregation. The Pomfret Town Board resolved in March to buy the building for $370,000, with renovation costs of up to $600,000. Grant funding is supposed to pay for most, if not all, of the project.

Pacos said at the August board meeting that remodeling work will largely be on the interior, with no significant exterior structural changes necessary.

The Chestnut Road building is several times larger than Pomfret’s rather cramped space on Day Street, which town officials have complained about for years. The new site also contains dozens of parking spaces, a big improvement over attempting to park in downtown Fredonia.

However, former town employee and legendary local pedestrian Michael Barris pointed out that the new Pomfret hall will no longer be easily accessible for walkers. He lamented that Pomfret was giving up the convenience and central location of downtown Fredonia, where the town office is located close to many entities it does business with.

The Pomfret Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously approved a special use permit for the new town hall in June. The permit was necessary because the area is zoned as residential. Pacos said then that the Town of Pomfret courtroom will also move to the site. The town supervisor also described his vision for a fishing access point at the forested rear of the property, which abuts Canadaway Creek.

The result of another Pacos idea — that the town of Dunkirk should share space with Pomfret in the new town hall — is unclear.

Dunkirk town officials initially seemed a little surprised by Pacos’ plan, and would not make any commitments. However, Pacos said at Pomfret’s September meeting that he had personally reached out to Dunkirk Town Supervisor Priscilla Penfold about the issue.

“They will make the determination, but I anticipate we’ll get together and have a discussion,” Pacos said.

Penfold told the OBSERVER that Dunkirk is in negotiations with the town of Pomfret regarding a potential agreement to share a new location. Representatives from the town of Dunkirk will meet with Pomfret officials in the coming weeks to discuss terms of an agreement.

No decision has been made by the town of Dunkirk on the matter, as its Town Board is awaiting more information before proceeding. There was no mention of a new Town Hall location during the most recent Dunkirk Town Board meeting, held Tuesday.

Pomfret has two plans for its new building: one if the town of Dunkirk wants to move in, another if it opts out. Pacos spoke of moving ahead on the plans, even though Dunkirk’s decision is not yet made.

Pomfret will have to hash out a final plan and put remodeling out to bid, the supervisor noted. “It’s exciting, we’re finally getting there,” he said.

Staff Reporter Braden Carmen contributed to this article.