One of the holdups in purchasing the Matthews Street property eyed for one of two proposed new schools is the discovery of an old deed that shows Clark Avenue cutting across a portion of it.
The street no longer crosses the plot, but that doesn’t change the legal right of way that shows a swath of roadway there.
City Attorney Dale Clift said the problem is that the city never formally abandoned the section of the street that cuts through the land.
That’s an issue that has to be hammered out before the city can finish the purchase of the property, Clift said.
A public hearing is slated for Thursday, Feb. 19 at City Hall to review the plan to abandon the right of way, which will need the blessing of the City Council.
Officials admit it’s sort of odd to require the city to abandon its claim on the right of way so that the city itself can go forward with the land buy.
But the reason is that the roadway goes through a portion of the lot at the corner of Matthews Street and Clark Avenue that will remain in private hands once the deal is complete.
The homeowner at the corner wants to stay put and keep 1.5 acres around the historic house, officials said.
Without taking care of the abandoned road issue, said city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, “We’re not ready to move ahead.”
Given all the legal complexities of the deals to buy the Matthews Street and former Crowley Auto dealership in Forestville, Mayor Art Ward said city leaders “should be awarded master’s degrees when we’re done with this.”
The city plans to build two 900-student schools by 2015, with the state picking up 74 percent of the tab. They would house students from kindergarten to eighth grade.
The purchase of the Crowley land on Pine Street is also on hold, officials said, as legal issues are dealt with.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
22 comments:
Yeah right Arty...master of stupidity.
End this fiasco project now!
Maybe this idea is so bad they actually won't follow through. The question is, how much worse can it be than tearing down the old downtown, building the mall, building a worthless parking garage, burying the Pequabuck River,practically giving away the Forestville Boy's club, dismantling K8 schools, block scheduling at the schools,
taking Bugryn's property by eminent domain, PURCHASING the mall, route 72 through Forestville, etc. On second thought forget it. Compared to all that, this new school scheme is a brainstorm.
I'll go back to college and attain my Master's Degree if the politicians and short-sighted citizens ever allow these schools to be built. It will not happen by 2015 or 2025.
please let a dead horse lie, most of us taxpayers do not want the new k thru 8 schools to go forward anyway. we as taxpayers can not afford anything else.
No new schools!
No new schools!
No new schools!
City councilors please stop wasting taxpayers money on this new school project!!! We do not need 2 new schools in Bristol.
As Casey Stengel once said "Can't anyone here play this game?"
We need to do whatever it takes to build these new schools for our children because they're our future.
10:44, you need a course in logic. "Children are our future, therefore we need new schools" just doesn't cut it. Unless you're assuming that new bricks are going to teach children better than their current teachers. Hmmmm...
11:50
No, "bricks" don't teach children.
However, a more modern facility can offer more opportunities for teaching opportunities, it can eliminate some of the barriers that are restrictive, especially those that have physical restrictions, it can reduce the number of school changes taht hamper education, it can create an attitude that the community carses, that education doesn't come last on the list.
We upgrade offices, we resod ballfields (forget Yankee stadium), we repave roads, install more modern computers and other equipment, but we think education can limp along on century old facilities.
Dumb, Dumb, Dumb.
Ever hear of People capitol???
"it can create an attitude that the community carses, that education doesn't come last on the list."
Taxpayers should shell out millions of dollars so that teachers and students feel important? Taxpayers should shell out millions of dollars for warm and fuzzy feelings while so many are unemployed and struggling to stay in their homes? WE HAVE NO MONEY!
Maybe there would be fewer unemployed if they had a better education.
It is NOT about feeling good, it is about learning and doing good.
One of the reasons that other countries have progressed rapidly, and have become more competitive is that they have realized the value of education and have done something about it.
It is not an expense, it is an investment.
While there may be some dollar savings in education, I do belive that the percentage is higher in general government. That is where we should start.
By the way, try spending a few days in the school system: you might come away with a better understanding of the way things are.
11:23 Ever hear of "The Confederacy of Greed"?
"By the way, try spending a few days in the school system: you might come away with a better understanding of the way things are."
Try living on unemployment, and YOU might come away with a better understanding of the way things are.
In many countries, students attend school in buildings that are hundreds of years old. My own children graduated from "old" schools several years back, and they're now professionals in their chosen fields. It took good teachers and involved parents. The buildings had no part in it.
Spending more money on education does not improve education. It's been shown time and time again. All it does is line educators' pockets. New schools are unthinkable right now; what we need are new and better teachers. There are many qualified people looking for jobs and we should be hiring them to replace teachers whose performance is poor. But we can't do that because of the union, and our kids are suffering for it.
Teaching is not the "fall back" position that it used to be.
While things may be differnt this year due to the economy, that won't last, and there will be the ongoing problem with getting dedicated teachers.
Good workers want good working conditions, and old antiquated building preclude that.
I've been unemployed, I haven't been a teacher, but I have a good awareness of the system.
By the way, starting new schools this year or next won't show up in our budget for 2-3 years, and if we aren't out of the bad economic situation by then we are ALL in trouble.
Bristol politicians need to understand we cannot have what we cannot pay for. This new school project is a waste of taxpayers money.
9:46
Pay me now or pay me later!
Think about it!
"Pay me now or pay me later!"
This is exactly the kind of thinking that got us in this financial mess. You don't spend money that you don't have, if you are wise.
But later on you don't have a choice, and yuoo will still be left with old schools!
So?????
Keep our schools!
Keep our schools!
Keep our schools!
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