Brewer council takes land for realignment project

BREWER – After some discussion with the city attorney and affected landowners, the Brewer City Council on Tuesday took certain land parcels on outer Wilson Street and the Pierce Road by eminent domain.

The five-member City Council also took by eminent domain temporary and permanent grading easements on certain areas of land parcels that currently are leased by Dave Gould Ford and Linnehan’s Credit Now Auto.

The purpose of the activity is to prepare for realigning of the Pierce Road, moving its entrance some 200 feet northwest so that it lines up better with Sparks Avenue. The roads are on opposite sides of Wilson Street. A four-way intersection will be developed in the area.

The realignment is part of a multiphased plan to create an already approved capital improvement district for the city.

In approving the eminent domain action, the City Council agreed unanimously to pay property owners Bruce K. Winslow and Joan Winslow $16,813 for 0.4 acres on the Pierce Road, the current site of a small auto dealership. They agreed to pay the J.A. Rappaport Family Limited Partnership $37,061 for 0.25 acres on Wilson Street. Part of this land area is leased by Linnehan’s Credit Now Auto. The group voted to pay the following prices for temporary and permanent road grading easements in the area.

Some of the landowners affected by the decision spoke in general terms about added concessions they understood would be part of the deal.

“I felt on my property there would be a tradeoff but I haven’t seen it yet,” said Michael E. Dunbar, who owns the property leased by Linnehan Credit Now Auto. The landowner told the City Council the land acquisition for the city takes away one of two entrances currently enjoyed by his tenant. City Engineer Frank Higgins said the entrance-exit issue could be further negotiated with strict conditions. He said a right-turn-only entrance could be created off the Pierce Road to Dunbar’s land.

Winslow spoke about the land taken by the city as the most valuable piece of a 6.9-acre tract off Wilson Street. The acquisition may force him back into wetlands, and “cuts down on the size of the building I could put there now,” Winslow said.

City Councilor Larry Doughty asked Winslow what price he would think is fair for the land.

“I really don’t know. $1 million,” Winslow joked.

“Don’t go there, Larry,” warned Mayor Gail Kelly.

A clearly frustrated Doughty earlier asked to have the landowners speak about concerns midway into a presentation by an appraiser on the value of the land.

“I want to hear from these people. If we take their land, at least we can try to accommodate the businesses on it,” Doughty said.

City Attorney Joel Dearborn said negotiations between the city and the landowners could continue in some fashion after the vote was taken. “The council has a right to revisit the issue,” Dearborn said.