Town Eyes Purchase Of Tonset Road Parcel

ORLEANS – Voters at next month’s special town meeting will be asked to support the purchase of a 2.2-acre parcel of land on Tonset Road.

 The select board on Sept. 10 unanimously voted to declare the parcel at 72 Tonset Rd. a “unique real property acquisition” and to sign a purchase and sale agreement for the property.

 With the board’s approval, an article will go to the Oct. 28 special town meeting seeking $2.5 million to purchase the waterfront property, which neighbors Sea Call Farm.

 “It's an incredible opportunity for the town to invest in maintaining a critical piece of character and history, while also providing recreational opportunities for the community,” Town Manager Kim Newman said of the proposal in an email following the Sept. 10 meeting.

 The select board has been discussing the purchase in executive session in recent weeks, including prior to last week’s meeting. Michael Solitro, the town’s special projects coordinator, said the opportunity to purchase the parcel came through conversations with the property owner and “key boards and committees in town.”

 Two appraisals conducted in recent weeks put the value of the property at $2.5 million. The town plans to fund the purchase through the use of free cash or through existing stabilization funding if necessary.

 “This is not taxation,” Newman told the board. “This is coming from reserves that you already have on hand.”

 The parcel currently houses a 2,237-square-foot three-bedroom home with an attached garage, which Solitro said the town plans to keep. He told the select board the goal is to use the property for “general municipal purposes,” which could include recreation, conservation, housing water access, water views or as part of the abutting farm.

 “It is not defined necessarily what will be done immediately, and it does not require or restrict any of the activities on the site,” Solitro said.

 The “unique” designation under state Chapter 30B stems from the property’s waterfront access and its “ability to be used with other town owned land to provide unique public recreational opportunities,” Solitro said.

 The town has an Oct. 2 deadline to complete a property inspection, which would then be followed by the Oct. 28 town meeting vote. If approved at the fall session, the town plans to close on the property by Nov. 27.

 Michael Herman of the select board complimented town staff on their ability to move swiftly on the potential purchase.

“It really shows how you guys have been able to pull this together in such a short fashion, and how if we really want to get behind something we can get things moving very quickly.”

Kevin Galligan of the select board heralded the potential purchase as “an incredible opportunity” for the town to adjoin Sea Call Farm, which voters approved at a June 1987 town meeting that he said drew the attendance of more than 700 people.

“As Mike went through, we see so many opportunities,” he said. “But let’s get control, and as we’ve done with other parcels, let’s figure it out.”