WESTFIELD – The City Council will resume discussion of a proposed open-space land purchase as members of the Legislative & Ordinance Committee consider other options to preserve that open space on Northwest Road without having to expend $157,500 of Community Preservation Funding.
The council members voted at the Sept. 5 meeting to keep the issue in the L&O for further consideration even though the Community Preservation Commission, Conservation Commission, Planning Board and Water Commission had all endorsed the purchase of the 13.2-acre parcel.
The issue may be brought back out onto the floor Thursday, Sept. 19 for further discussion because the City Council has only 120 days to act on the Chapter 61-A release petition and voted at its July 8 session, which started that 120-day countdown.
The council members voted to send the petition to the Law Department, Water Resource Department and the council’s Legislative & Ordinance Committee for further review. That 120-day period to purchase the land expires in October.
The landowner, John Pitoniak, is seeking to sell the parcel to an abutting property owner for $130,000. The property is currently in Chapter 61-A status, which lowers the property tax, providing financial relief and an incentive to land owners to preserve open space. That law also gives the city the right of first refusal. Typically the city takes no action of Chapter 61-A property release. However, in this case the city is considering purchasing the property that abuts city well #5 and is contiguous with other open space property.
The Community Preservation Committee voted in July to seek City Council approval of the $157,500 appropriation from Community Preservation Act funds to purchase 13.2 acres of land off Northwest Road. The Conservation Commission also voted in July to endorse the city’s right to exercise the option of buying land, joining several other municipal boards in supporting the purchase of the property under the 61-A provisions.
City Planner Jay Vinskey said during the July, 11 CPC meeting that 61-A releases “come up fairly often” but that the city seldom exercises its right to purchase those parcels. The Pitoniak parcel may be an exception.
L&O Chairman Christopher Keefe said that the city is looking at a negotiated settlement with the proposed buyer, although municipal ownership remains a viable option. The 13 acres fronts other property owned by the prospective buyer.
“At this point, he may be looking at buying that land to prevent development,” Keefe said. “But who knows what he’d want, or the next owner, would do in the future.
“The wisest thing to do in the short term is to exercise our option (to purchase) and put the money on the table,” Keefe said. “Then we can negotiate.”
Keefe said he anticipates a public hearing will be held, possibly at Thursday, s council meeting.
“If we’re going to spend some of the taxpayers’ money, they should have a right to comment,” Keefe said.
