LEWISTON – Councilors cleared the way for the private takeover of eight properties Wednesday night, putting about $110,000 worth of property back on the tax roles.
But concerns that neighbors were not properly notified about one piece of land and confusion about another kept councilors from granting two other deals. In fact, concerns about notifying neighbors of 76 Cote St. threatened to derail the entire package.
“We know that several neighbors did not get notified, and I don’t think that’s fair,” said City Councilor Renee Bernier. “How can we be sure that other properties don’t have the same problem?”
The city began advertising in January to sell 36 lots around the city. Many had been taken in lieu of unpaid property taxes over the years, and City Administrator Jim Bennett said he wanted to get them transferred and into private hands before April 1. In all, the city received 33 different proposals for 19 properties.
Bennett said staff agreed to present 10 of the proposals Wednesday. He wanted to wait to present proposals for three others at later meetings
Councilors passed most of the lots with little discussion and no controversy. They include a number of single family homes and some isolated properties that neighbors wanted to purchase to buffer their homes.
But the council got hung up over recommendations to sell a 10.2-acre lot at 568 Old Greene Road to Atlantic Holdings LLC. That group was proposing to pay $41,000 to build condominiums on the lot.
But bidder Don Arel, who owns another 300 acres behind that parcel, told councilors he wanted to provide recreation access to his land.
“I can’t match that high bid, but I do have a good use for that land,” Arel said. He bid $10,000 for the land.
Councilors said they doubted the narrow lot was big enough to be useful for any residential development. They tabled a decision on that land until April 5.
The fate of 76 Cote St. was the biggest issue. Fortin Home Construction offered the highest bid of $125,000 for the land, a collection of city parcels that total 15 acres. The company planned to build a residential development there.
Neighbor Gerald Langlais, of 487 Webster St., offered a similar project but bid only $85,000. But Langlais said he learned about the bid by reading the newspaper. He didn’t receive a notice from the city that the property was for sale.
City staff admitted that letters were sent to neighbors along the street, but people whose back yards touched the property were not notified. That created a problem for Bernier, who wanted councilors to turn it down immediately. She was voted down, however, and councilors initially agreed to sell the property to Fortin.
Councilor Norm Rousseau, who voted in favor of the sale, changed his mind and asked for another vote. With his support, Bernier’s motion to reject the bids passed 4-3. Councilors Stavros Mendros, Ronald Jean and Robert Connors supported the sale.
Lots for Sale
The city agreed to sell eight publicly owned parcels Wednesday night.
• 585 College St., 2.17 acres sold to Atlantic Holdings LLC for $15,000.
• 33 Stillman St., 1.7 acres sold to John Danforth for $17,500.
• 803 Sabattus St., 8,032 square-foot lot to John Danforth for $2,100.
• 65 Rideout Ave., 15,373 square-foot lot donated to Habitat for Humanity and the Lewiston Regional Technical Center.
• 199 Grove St., half-acre lot sold to Robert Blanchette for $350.
• 27 Summit Ave., half-acre lot sold to John Danforth for $150.
• 58 Pettingill St., rear, half-acre lot sold to Tim and Amy Kelly for $1,550.
• 11 Bridge St., 6,422 square-foot lot sold to John Danforth for $6,100.
Comments are no longer available on this story