Blackstone voters deny land purchase

BLACKSTONE – While a majority of Special Town Meeting voters Tuesday supported the town’s plan to purchase 57 acres of agriculturally zoned land off Lincoln Street, the measure failed to garner the two-thirds majority it needed to pass.

The vote on the land article – the only article on the warrant – was 91-61, but required a two-thirds majority to pass, so the motion on the floor failed.

The land the town was looking to buy is located at 148 Lincoln St., across the street from the high school. There is a house on the property that sits on two acres, which is surrounded by an additional 57 acres under 61A tax status (agricultural/horticultural). The property – known locally as the McCooey property – is located on the same side of Lincoln Street as the John F. Kennedy Elementary and Augustine F. Maloney Elementary School complex.

The selectmen called for the special town meeting last month after Town Administrator Daniel M. Keyes said that attorneys for the landowner have accepted the town’s appraised value of the property, which includes $335,000 for the single-family house and outbuildings on 2.34 acres, plus $215,000 for an additional 57 acres.

Voters on Tuesday were

asked to approve a total of $550,000 to purchase the entire property, which was below the seller’s asking price of $699,000. The money to buy the property would have come from the town stabilization fund so there would have been no impact on the tax rate.

The Finance Committee recommended that voters pass the article, which was amended last night at the request of the selectmen, who asked that the 57 acres under the 61A tax status be limited to open space and natural resources, while the 2.34 acres be used for general municipal use.

Selectmen Chairman Daniel Keefe argued that the amendment would preserve the property until such time as the town comes up with a plan for its use. It would also prevent triggering a roll back of taxes payable by the seller, which could have jeopardized the sale.

Selectman Robert J. Dubois disagreed with his colleagues on the board and argued against the amendment, saying it would handcuff the town later if it decides to develop the land. Changing the property's designation later from open space to municipal use would require not only town approval but approval from the state – a long and tedious process at best, he said.

The amendment, however, passed by a majority voice vote, but the main motion failed to garner the two-thirds it needed to pass.

Several residents, including John Eldridge and Steve Perrault, argued against the land deal.

"I have a lot of respect for the selectmen and Finance Committee, but I reject this proposal with or without the amendment," Eldridge said.

Perreault said he was concerned that taking a halfmillion dollars from the stabilization account – which currently holds $3.5 million – could hurt the town's favorable bond rating.

Because the 57 acres is under 61A tax status, the town had the right of first refusal to purchase the land before potential developers.