The Legislative Council on December 3 unanimously voted to acquire, at no cost to taxpayers, the home and property where 12/14 shooter Adam Lanza lived with his mother, Nancy Lanza. The bank that was holding the outstanding mortgage on 36 Yogananda Street decided after months of discussion to give the parcel and residence to the community.

Legislative Council Chair Mary Ann Jacob told The Newtown Bee prior to Wednesday’s decision that the acquisition was discussed among council members in a closed session during its last meeting. But since possible action on the acquisition was not properly noticed to the public, Ms Jacob said, she put off action until this week.

She said the council’s action was on the acquisition exclusively, not the disposition of that property.

Prior to the council’s vote on the matter, Carla Kron, who lives in the Sandy Hook nationhood where the property is located, said she talked to a number of residents who supported the town’s acquisition.

First Selectman Pat Llodra explained to the council ahead of the vote that she had been working with Dr Randall Bell, who was consulting with Hudson City Savings Bank, the current mortgage holder.

According to a recent article in RealtyToday, Dr Bell is a property appraiser who has assessed several major damaged sites like those affected by Hurricane Katrina, the World Trade Center and Flight 93 crash site, the Santa Fe residence where the Heaven’s Gate Cult committed mass suicide, and even the house where JonBenet Ramsey was murdered.

She said Dr Bell helped negotiate the final disposition. Mrs Llodra also had high praise for bank officials who endorsed giving the property to the community.

“The bank has been extraordinary in its compassion and generosity,” Mrs Llodra said. “The bank wants to do the right and best thing on behalf of Newtown.”

She said the town is in possession of the deed. Prior to the meeting Wednesday evening Mrs Llodra said the council, by charter, has the singular authority to act on both gift acquisitions and dispositions of public property.

The first selectman said it will be determined through future discussions how the town will use or dispose of the parcel with its 3,162-square-foot residence.

She told the council that any appropriations that might be required in the future related to the property, such as expenses if the residence is to be demolished, will originate with the Board of Selectmen. Any such spending must then must pass review by the Board of Finance and the council.

That residence was the scene of the first of 27 murders perpetrated by Adam Lanza on December 14, 2012. Prior to his trip to Sandy Hook School that morning, where he then killed 26 women and children before taking his own life, he shot his mother as she slept in her second floor bedroom.

Mrs Llodra said any future disposition of the property would occur after a new series of discussions and actions. She said that in recent weeks, she has mounted an “aggressive” attempt to notify and seek guidance from victims’ surviving families as to how they would like a potential disposition handled.

“After months of discussion and collaboration with the bank holding the mortgage, I’m recommending the town accept the property,” Mrs Llodra said. She said the purchase obligation to taxpayers will be zero — that includes the property and the residence.

According to town land records, the Colonial-style home was built in 1998, and has an approximate market value of $520,000. It sits on 2.19 acres in a high-end residential subdivision surrounded by similar homes.

A call to Hudson City Savings Bank for follow-up comment was not immediately returned.