Lebanon drops Seminary Hill site for proposed childcare center, reviews other city property

The proposed Boys & Girls Clubs childcare center will not move forward at 20 Seminary Hill Road in West Lebanon after the Lebanon School Board failed to approve preliminary decisions needed for the project on July 15, 2026.

Lebanon is now evaluating other city-owned properties, including 226 Mascoma Street, but the replacement site, approvals and schedule remain unresolved. For families, workers and employers in West Lebanon, the proposed facility should not be treated as an imminent source of new childcare capacity.

School Board vote ended the Seminary Hill location

The City of Lebanon said the School Board’s failure to approve the preliminary decisions ended the proposed project’s path on city and School District land next to the former Seminary Hill School building at 20 Seminary Hill Road. West Lebanon is part of the City of Lebanon, in Grafton County, New Hampshire.

Valley News reported that the board vote was 4-4. The action involved a document that would have assigned the city and School District responsibility for half the cost of removing the building after it was no longer useful. Board members who opposed moving forward raised concerns about project costs, responsibilities and whether the arrangement fell within the School Board’s role.

The result was not a permanent end to the broader childcare proposal. It means the Seminary Hill location will not proceed under the current plan, and the School District’s involvement at that location ended with the failed preliminary action.

City is considering 226 Mascoma Street

Separate from the School Board decision, the City Council authorized City Manager Andrew Hosmer to discuss relocating the proposal with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central and Northern New Hampshire. One property under evaluation is 226 Mascoma Street.

That parcel is an alternative under consideration, not a selected or approved replacement site. The city has not announced a final location, construction schedule or opening date.

The city’s 2026 approved budget book says Lebanon purchased 226 Mascoma Street in January 2022 for possible future expansion of the adjacent Valley Cemetery. Valley News reported that the property cost $235,000 and that council discussion indicated cemetery expansion may be less pressing as cremation rates have increased.

Council voted to apply for grant support

The City Council also voted 8-1 to apply for $750,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to support the project. An application is not an award, and the vote does not establish that the funding will be received.

The city’s earlier project FAQ described a proposed 50-slot facility serving infants through age 5. It identified the Boys & Girls Clubs as the nonprofit owner and operator and described construction funding as coming through grants, donations and foundations. Those details describe the proposal’s intended structure, not an approved construction plan.

What remains unresolved

Lebanon is evaluating properties and discussing whether the Boys & Girls Clubs project can move to another city-owned location. Until those discussions produce a site and the necessary approvals, families and workers do not have a confirmed childcare location, timeline or additional slots from this proposal.

The next concrete steps would include selecting a site, resolving land-use and project responsibilities, obtaining any required approvals and permits, and establishing a construction and opening schedule.

Sources

• City of Lebanon Childcare Facility Project update
• Valley News report on the Lebanon School Board vote