Town Meeting OKs Sale

Of Queen St Properties

By Steve Bigham

Residents approved the sale of the town-owned Queen Street properties Monday night, paving the way for a public auction of the houses and land later this summer.

The town purchased the homes from the state two years ago for $1.2 million following the closing of Fairfield Hills Hospital. The homes once housed Fairfield Hills staff members.

The town’s intention was to acquire the homes to avoid future development there, then eventually sell them for a profit. Each property will be sold with deed restrictions requiring them to remain single-family units.

Interest in the small to mid-size homes has been huge as potential buyers have crowded Edmond Town Hall’s phone lines with questions.

The Town Charter required the town to receive approval at a town meeting before any town-owned land can be sold.

About 40 people turned out for Monday’s town meeting and all but about five voted in favor of the sale. Kim Danziger says he supports the sale, but urged the town to work hard to get the maximum return on the property.

“Maybe we can get creative. The homes are in poor shape. Maybe it’s in our best interest to tear them down first. That might improve the property,” he said.

As Mr Danziger pointed out, empty building lots in Newtown are going for $200,000. The Queen Street lots are prime parcels, he said, suggesting that the town even consider re-arranging the lots or making them age-restricted (55 and over).

“Before we give a blank check to this, I want to make sure we give the best opportunity for this lot,” he said.

Will Rodgers suggested the town proceed cautiously when it comes to implementing the sale. “Maybe we need to work on the ends and then move toward the middle and see how the reaction goes toward any initial development and use it as a blueprint for the future,” he said.

Paul Brautigam suggested the town do a market analysis of the land to determine its actual worth.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal said the town stands to get a better price on the lots at a public auction because a minimum price can be set. He hopes a local real estate agent might step forward to provide an appraisal of the homes.

David Erickson of Hawleyville Road, a Taunton Press employee, said he is interested in buying one of the homes.

“My interest is to save one of those houses and have a place to live,” he said.

The Board of Selectmen had originally recommended that at least one of the homes be given to Habitat for Humanity. The Legislative Council, however, voted against the move.

The Board of Selectmen is expected to discuss setting a public auction date at its next meeting. Mr Rosenthal said he wants to sell the homes before the onset of winter.

All the lots will be sold, except for three one-acre lots most known for the scenic rolling hills and meadows behind them. The town plans to keep these properties.

It costs the town $10,000 per year to maintain the lots located on a half-mile strip along the eastern side of Queen Street.

The town purchased each home at a cost that ranged from $76,500 to $140,000.