The John H. Newnam Armory is now owned by Chestertown residents, but not for long says Chestertown Town Manager Bill Ingersoll. He said the sale from the Maryland Department of General Services to the Town of Chestertown was official as of yesterday, but the town is soon to flip the Armory to Washington College.
As part of the transfer agreement, WC will pay the expenses the town incurred to do a Phase II environmental study of the property and for the settlement fees Chestertown paid to buy the Armory from DGS.
He said he was not sure when WC will pay the $200,000 gift it promised the town in exchange for the Armory from an agreement forged in late 2011.
“It doesn’t have to come to us that day, but it has been promised to us in the budget of the college,” Ingersoll said at Tuesday’s council meeting. “You’d have ask them that question.”
In an article published in the Spy in January, Ingersoll said the money should appear in the general fund by the end of February.
In the same article, Ingersoll said the donation was not solely designated for Rails Trails and that funds could be used for waterfront planning and other recreation under the terms of the gift, but it turns out that the full amount is actually budgeted for Rails Trails this year.
“We actually budgeted it for Rails Trails in this year’s budget,” Ingersoll said Tuesday. “All $200,000 of it.”
He said he had forgotten about it until Town’s accountant, Pat Diver, mentioned it to him.
He said the town is applying for a Bikeways Grant in the same amount and that the donation from the Armory could be “reprogrammed” if the grant is awarded. Councilman Jim Gatto concurred.
A motion passed by the town at the last council meeting will exclude the gift from the cash-on-hand totals introduced at each council meeting — in order to keep track of expenditures that are approved by a vote of the council.
Fletcher R. Hall says
Let’s get this transaction completed. It has always made good sense for Washington College to be the owner of the Armory site, on the waterfront. The college is to be commended for offering to purchase the Armory and include that space in the development of new college facilities in that area.
Inded, the entire college complex that Washington College is planning for the Chester River waterfront should be an economic stimulus to Chestertown in the furure.
And, no, that purchase by the college did not take any property taxes off the local tax roles and the same applies to the college’s purchase of the board of education building. Those properties were never taxable in the first place. That well worn argument is bogus.
Washington College, which has been standing in Chestertown since 1782, is making more and significant commitments to the town in atime when these types of commitments should be most welcome.
Fletcher R. Hall
Chestertown