Pelhamites have say on former arena property

Town planning to sell Haist Street land for housing

The former Pelham arena lands at 1120 Haist St. have been on the market since late last summer, after an extensive consultation period during which residents had their say on what type of development they’d prefer to see there.

But to hear the comments during a public meeting Monday night at the new community centre built to replace the aging former arena, many residents feel they haven’t been given a proper choice on the matter until now, and they’re making sure their voices are heard.

The old arena was deemed in need of replacement nearly five years ago, after assessments determined the cost of repair to be prohibitive. And with the $36-million Meridian Community Centre now up and running, the town is looking to make some money from the sale of the property.

The property value has been assessed at between $2.7 million and $3 million, and the town has an offer within that range. However, several members of the new town council said during last fall’s municipal election that if there was still a chance to halt the sale, they would do so.

The current offer does not have a time limit, and the potential

buyer has been made aware the property could be taken off the market.

Mayor Marvin Junkin said the ball is in residents’ court now. On Monday, he said if the majority of residents accept the consequences of not selling the property, council is prepared to remove the ‘for sale’ sign.

“If the people in Pelham are willing to take that much of a tax hike, we can take the sign down,” he said.

A good chunk of the meeting, apart from summarizing a history of how the town got to this point, was spent making sure everyone understood the financial consequences.

Put simply, the town needs the money, or at the very least could really use it.

It could also do without the costs of keeping the property — it’s estimated that demolishing the arena and remediating the surrounding land to keep it as a park would cost about $1 million, which, if paid for all at once, would add 7.7 per cent or about $120 to the average town tax bill.

Some residents noted that the new community centre, for which the town debentured more than $12 million, is costing residents only $50 a year.

Treasurer and acting chief administrative officer Teresa Quinlin noted, though, the arena debt is being spread out over 30 years, and the town should avoid taking on more debt at this time.

“As the treasurer, I don’t want to take on any more debt,” she said.

There’s also the loss of future revenue to consider. The proposal is for 13 single-family homes and 28 townhouse units, which, it’s estimated, would bring in about $84,000 in property taxes a year.

The town is planning to use a good chunk of the land sale proceeds to fund $2.6 million in already-approved capital projects.

There are not enough in reserves to cover those costs, largely because of how the town funded the arena and servicing of east Fonthill lands. The town borrowed against itself ($6.7 million for east Fonthill development) and is counting future parkland dedication fees to pay for it. It also took out a $13.5-million bridge loan to help pay for the community centre and expects to recover it through the sale of east Fonthill land.

Several residents, including many living in the Haist Street area who want to keep the property open space, expressed relief that the option to halt the sale still exists.

“I am delighted the hear the possibility of not selling the property is still on the table,” said Elaine Champagne. “I’m hoping you give us a chance to use our voice in that area.”