Two years after the city first indicated a desire to buy an old stone house at the entrance to Rockwell Park, councilors are poised to follow through on the $218,000 deal.
The delay was caused by a family dispute over the fate of the 15 Dutton Ave. house – a dispute that’s not completely settled – but officials are no longer willing to wait for a clear resolution.
“My patience on this matter has reached an end,” said city Councilor Mike Rimcoski. “The time has come.”
The Real Estate Committee has asked councilors to approve the purchase of the Bevivino family house at the Sept. 8 City Council meeting. Normally, councilors go along with committee recommendations.
The city would like to buy the Dutton Avenue house where the Bevivino family has lived for decades, tear it down and use the property for the historic park.
It has already bought an adjacent lot from the family for $63,000.
Salvatore Vitrano, the attorney who represents three of the four siblings who jointly own the house, said “a great deal of misinformation” has been spread through the community about the deal.
He said that all four siblings signed an agreement approved by a state judge in February 2008 to sell the house to the city for its assessed value. But one, Jan Bevivino, is living in the house and trying to get a mortgage so she can buy it instead.
Vitrano said the rest of the family would rather sell it to her than the city, but it appears she can’t get a mortgage approved.
Jan Bevivino said that her first application was turned down and another is in the works. She said, though, that money is tight and it’s hard to get approved.
“I’m having a hard time,” she told the real estate panel.
Councilors said they sympathized with her, but the reality of the situation is that if the city doesn’t buy the house, it will be sold on the open market instead.
“We’ve been very patient. We’ve waited and waited and waited,” said city Councilor Frank Nicastro, who heads the panel.
He said if the city doesn’t act “somebody else is going to get” the house instead, which would prevent the city from taking a key property at the gateway to the park.
Rimcoski said that Jan Bevivino has more time to get the financing in place to buy it herself. He said that if she can get a mortgage approved before the council meeting, he’s sure she’ll be able to buy the house.
The city is in the middle of a multi-year, $7 million project to remake Rockwell Park by adding more recreational facilities, better parking, a nicer entrance and other amenities aimed at restoring the historic West End park and bolstering its use.
Park Director Ed Swicklas has said the 15 Dutton Ave. property would make a good addition to the park.
If the city buys the house next month, there are only two other pieces of property it has indicated it would like to have to open up the park entrance and enhance neighboring Muzzy Field – a small apartment building and a former gas station.
Officials have said the city’s policy is to try to buy them when they come on the market. The city is already working on the possible purchase of the gas station.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
16 comments:
If you think the price is fair enough, you may pay it in full price and negotiate for a lower interest or ask for a smaller down payment. Try to maximize the opportunity so that you would have a great deal of your money.
$218,000 are you kidding? Has anyone seen this house? It is worth $150,000 at best. This deal needs to be examined more closely. I agree that the property will enhance the parks but we need to reign in spending.
Why buy it when maybe we can make some kind of deal with the family to leave it to the city, would this not make more sense, do we really have the money to buy it.I agree that we really don't want to lose it and it would make a great addition to Rockwell Park at a time when we are stretching every dolar for what it is worth some kind of deal in which the family would leave it to the city in exchange for something or maybe sign an agreement that they would only sell to us when the city is in a better position, financially, so that we would not be spending money we don't have at the moment.
We have asked our city unions to give concessions and yet it seems we still go on spending does not make sense.
So much to buy, so much to demolish, so much to redo.
WHAT is the finanl total?
How many people will you have to threaten to lay off to pay for all of this???
I'm a little confused .
Why haven't they just torn the house down and sent the owners a bill ?
They have done so on numerous other occasions without any opposition , so , what makes this piece so special ?
Why not just take it away from them like the city did to the Bugryns
NOT mine, you underestimate yourself. You are not just a "little confused"...more like totally clueless!
Run Bill Run!
Looks like Nicastro wants to leave us in the hole again. Just like when he was mayor
SO TRUE
Kevin: where are you on this?
Good chance to get out in front!!!
Buy the propery--$$$
Clean it up --$$$
Redo the property--$$$
Where is it($$$) all coming from??
No one gave Kevin the inside scoop this time. I mean really people, he comes out as the only one against it then magically it appears that the council was fed the wrong information. Just coincidence that he was the only one? I don't think so. Oh by the way and Kevin does the right thing but not voting on the contracts that he has some interest with. I commend him for that but here is the bottom line. 12,000 voters 2 councilmen in district 2. Everytime he abstains from a vote, The voter loses a huge say on that because there are only 2 councilmen voting for the district. CITY EMPLOYEES OR ANYONE ATTACHED TO OR DIRECTLY BENEFITTING FROM THE MUNICIPALITY DOES NOT BELONG RUNNING CITY GOVERNMENT. Plain and simple.
1:06 You nailed it! McCauley answers to a higher power.
8:20 - what's her name?
Between teh two, well over ONE million dollars before all is said and done.
Atta boy Artie, and Ken, and Kevin,
Where are the voices of reason?
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