After a lengthy executive session behind closed doors, the Standish Town Council voted Tuesday night to hold off on a decision to purchase a certain piece of property for a community center.
The eight-acre property in question, located on Route 35 and Moody Road, is owned by James Cummings, who offered it to the town through his agent, Mark Floor, for $325,000.
Initially, Floor had approached the Community Center Committee to offer the town six acres of the parcel for $150,000. But the committee requested a price for the entire eight acres to provide the center with road access from two sides and to gain Route 35 visibility.
In a phone interview on Wednesday, when asked why two acres added $175,000 to the price tag, Cummings said there is a house on that portion of the property currently on the market for $209,900.
“I think I’ve offered them a very fair price,” he said.
Cummings, who is in land development and general contracting of homes, as well as the owner of a mortgage company and a self-storage facility, purchased the eight-acre property earlier this year for $210,000.
Although Councilor Larry Simpson suspected some people might consider the property too expensive, he said he thought it was a good idea to buy it. In a phone interview, he compared the purchase of this property to buying lakefront property. People are willing to spend more money to get a prime location.
But whether or not the council was willing to approve the order, Simpson is disappointed in Tuesday night’s proceedings.
“I made a fatal, fatal mistake last night,” he said. “I agreed to let the thing be tabled. I still would have agreed eventually, but I should have put it on the floor for debate. Now, everything took place in executive session and anybody can read between the lines – the votes weren’t there to pass it.”
Councilor Dolores Lymburner is not only uneasy about the cost of the property, but about the lack of any design for the building as well.
“I’m concerned about giving a $20,000 deposit if we don’t have a design in place before we go to the voters for approval. If the purchase is not approved, we lose our deposit.”
According to Simpson, the Community Center Committee discussed the property at the Oct. 27 meeting. At that time, at least one member felt the town would be paying too much money; that the transaction would serve to make Cummings and Floor rich. But when the vote was taken, it was five to one in favor of recommending the site to the council.
After the committee’s nine-month effort to locate an appropriate spot for the center, Simpson is concerned that the council’s action on Tuesday may discourage the group.
“The council has got to rely on their committee,” he said. “If the committee brought forth the proposal, let the people vote it down, not the council.”
And, if they can get the seller to hold off, Simpson plans to put the issue on the table for debate at next month’s council meeting.
“I hope the idea’s not dead but I’m afraid it may be,” he said.
Simpson and fellow Councilor Phil Pomerleau met Thursday with the community center committee after this paper went to press.
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