PROSPECT — Voters approved the purchase of the property at 5 Cheshire Road Tuesday night.
The purchase was approved unanimously by a show of hands at a town meeting, with approximately 25 residents casting their vote.
The property, which borders the southeastern portion of Town Hall land, is approximately 1 acre with a 768-square-foot house on it. The property is appraised at $174,111, according to online property records. The town plans to buy the land, which is owned by James Nolan Jr., for $170,000.
Mayor Robert Chatfield said three equal payments will be made over the next two years. The first payment would be paid at the time of the signing.
The money for the first payment would come from the town’s fund balance, Chatfield previously said. The next two payments would be made after the start of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 fiscal years, he said.
The town plans to use the property to expand parking at Town Hall, and possibly making an egress onto Cheshire Road in order to alleviate traffic on the driveway Town Hall shares with Long River Middle School.
“You’d only be able to make a right turn in and a right turn out. You can’t make a left turn because you would be out across Route 69 and there would be a terrific blind spot,” Chatfield said.
Bonnie Mumma, whose property abuts the land at 5 Cheshire Road, raised concerns that her property is no longer going to be private.
“I want to know if there is going to some kind of provision for some kind of natural boundary so I’m not sitting in my backyard looking at a parking lot,” Mumma said.
Chatfield said the town would either create a natural boundary with trees and shrubs or put up a fence with shrubs on either side.
Mumma asked if there was a time frame as to when everything would be done.
Chatfield said a date for the closing hasn’t been discussed with Nolan, yet. He doesn’t anticipate any work starting this year.
“As winter sets upon us we won’t be doing anything until spring, if we do anything there,” Chatfield.
