The Chestertown Council, at its Feb. 20 meeting, authorized Town Manager Bill Ingersoll to move ahead with the possible sale of four town-owned lots near the intersection of Calvert and Lynchburg Streets.
Ingersoll said the town originally acquired the properties, which were the site of the original Garnet School, from the Board of Education in 1973. He said in a memo to council members that the lots were “added to an ’80’s planned rebuilding project called Calvert Homes, which was awarded to Interfaith Housing Corporation from Denton.” Interfaith built several townhouses along Calvert Street, and had plans to build more. But sales did not meet their expectations, and the company sold the remaining land, back to the town in 1993.
The town subdivided the property into six building lots, with the intention of selling them as low- or moderate-income home sites. One, on College Avenue across the street from Bethel AME Church, was sold in 2005 and a home was built on it using Federal Home Administration funds for affordable housing, Ingersoll said. The lots were priced at $15,000 for low-income individual buyers seeking home sites and $25,000 for developers intending to build homes for the low- to moderate-income market. However, despite efforts to market the property, no buyers came forward.
In December, Ingersoll said, the pastor of the nearby Faith Life Church made an offer of $40,000 for four of the remaining lots, and put down a $10,000 good faith deposit. The church planned to use the lots as a parking area to alleviate congestion in the neighborhood when there are services or other events at the church. In the longer term, the church is thinking of expanding its building and could use the property for that purpose. Ingersoll said he had reviewed the contract and asked for a couple of terms the town could not guarantee to be modified, which the other parties agreed to. He told the council it was their decision whether to accept the offer, reject it, or enter into further discussions with the buyer.
Ingersoll pointed out that the state assessment was higher than the town’s asking price, but the lots had been on the town’s hands for 25 years with only one selling. The council had declared the properties excess a number of years earlier.
Councilman Ellsworth Tolliver said he would be willing to approve the sale if he could be sure the buyer was not planning to resell the property at a profit.
Councilwoman Linda Kuiper said the town would benefit if that were to happen, because the property would be on the tax rolls.
Ingersoll said the property would be on the tax rolls until the buyer completed a church building, if that ever takes place.
Councilman David Foster asked if the property has water and sewer allocations. Ingersoll said there are water and sewer connections for all four lots, but the buyer would be using only one if he builds a church extension on it.
Mayor Chris Cerino said the town would be able to make good use of the $40,000 to pay for ongoing work at the marina or to pave streets.
Tolliver moved to move ahead with the sale, and the council voted unanimously to do so.
In other business, Dr. Wayne Benjamin and Muriel Cole of Homeports gave a report on the organization’s 10-year anniversary. Homeports, which has the goal of allowing senior citizens to remain in their own homes with the help of volunteers to provide services such as rides to shopping or medical appointments or to perform small home repairs and other projects. They said Homeports currently serves 90 members, with a core of about 60 volunteers. They said the group hopes to add more members.
Also, the council heard a presentation from Jeff Carroll, owner of the Fish Whistle, on a fishing tournament he is planning for October 6 and 7. He requested permits to use part of the marina property, which is adjacent to the restaurant, for the participants to weigh in. He said the tournament would bring visitors to town, benefiting local businesses.
Cerino said the exact site would depend on progress on the renovations, but in general he said the town would be willing to work with him. The council voted to support the project.
Cerino nominated Owen Bailey to fill a vacancy on the Historic District Commission. The council will vote on the nomination at the next meeting.
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