Politics & Government
Town to Pursue Potential Garage Site
5 Cherry Brook is same parcel rejected in 2010 but selectmen say the plan would be more complete this time around.
The town plans to put together a small committee to look into purchasing property at 5 Cherry Brook Road for a new highway garage to replace its aging facility on Old River Road.
While the property is the same parcel voters decline to purchase for $900,000 at a 2010 referendum, selectmen said there are several differences and virtually no other options.
Selectmen said this time around they are hoping for a better price with a little smaller portion of the land and a complete garage plan, which they said many voters wanted to see last time around.
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“It’s going to force us to do some proper program adjustments,” selectman Lowell Humphrey said.
They also said the Permanent Municipal Building Committee has analyzed roughly 60 sites, all of which were eliminated due to wetlands, topography, sales or other issues.
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“We’ve chased down every property that I’m aware of,” First Selectman Richard Barlow said.
Selectmen Wednesday and the building committee the night before did talk about other parcels, including 14 acres to the east of Canterbury Heights Condominium complex.
The association members had approached the town about the possibility of selling the land. While the door was not completely closed, town officials came to the conclusion that it was not a viable option right now due to current “insufficient interest” from the association and some ongoing concerns, some of which the town said would be hard to rectify.
“It really doesn’t make sense to go somewhere we may not be welcome,” Chief Administrative Officer Robert Skinner said.
Selectmen also discussed 66 Lovely St. where St. Pierre Box and Lumber Company has closed its doors. With wetlands and aquifer issues the site, at first “blush,” does not seem to be an option, Skinner said.
The town is hoping to put together a complete garage package for a November Referendum. Selectmen and the Board of Education supported a $17.9 million proposed bonding package but are awaiting action from the Board of Finance.
The proposed package includes a $7 million estimate for the garage, including site work and potentially land purchase.
While that is down from an original $9 million estimate, some residents have still criticized the number.
Skinner said the town had a meeting Tuesday to begin the process of critically looking at the town’s needs and seeing how the $7 million number could be reduced.
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