Old Town panel mulls sale of city-owned lot

OLD TOWN — The Administrative Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to recommend that a popular parcel of land in the city be sent to bid only to abutters of the property.

The lot, about 1 acre, borders Stillwater Avenue between North Brunswick and North Main streets, and also rests between a number of lots owned by residents who might be interested in acquiring it, including Old Town Canoe and Galaxy Apartments.

During a recent meeting, councilors could not decide just what to do with the lot, and instructed town officials to draw up a list of criteria for possible bidders on the land, including a statement of proposed use, estimated impact on the tax base, and how the use might affect the property’s neighbors.

Some of those neighbors expressed concern that Old Town Canoe might purchase the land and increase truck traffic in the neighborhood. An Old Town Canoe representative at Wednesday’s meeting said that company officials remained unsure what they would use the property for, although they might consider using it as an outlet for trucks.

“If it does go to them, I would hate to see it become a dump,” said one property owner concerned with stacks of rejected canoes now sitting on a company lot nearby. “They’re not good neighbors.”

After nearly an hour of discussion on the matter, the committee decided to revise the bid specifications to include provisions for noise reduction and an elaboration of the request for a statement addressing the concerns of the abutting property owners.

On Tuesday, the City Council will vote on whether to accept the committee’s recommendation to send the sale out to bid only to the abutting property owners.