The Salem News: Council ponders park on cut-rate, polluted parcel
I am not quite sure why the Salem News feels the need to portray the situation in the worst possible manner... Perhaps they are jealous that Peabody is getting some small percentage of the massive amount of money the State and Feds pump into Salem each and every year... But you rarely see the SNews call for a rejection of any home town funds.
But in this case we already have an existing problem...> a derelict, run-down, polluted and dangerous parcel of land
Without any possible hope for a solution...
> the owner has been unable to interest any buyers, has no plans to deal with the safety and pollution issues and the City seems to have no legal recourse against the owner either
Except for an intervention by the City...
> which will be paid for with (at least) 60% State funding for the purchase
Purchasing the property...
> at a huge savings due to both the conditions (polluted) and the economy
And redeveloping it into a New Park (in an area of the City that can really use some help) and a (small) flood retention basin in a flood prone area
> with (potentially) much of the clean-up costs being borne by State and Federal clean-up grants only available to municipal properties
So.... let's consider this again...
The Owner gets to sell his troubled land
.. he wins
....He will then have the money to pay the back taxes (if any)
.... city wins
......The dangerous conditions at the site will be removed
....... neighborhood wins
.........The City will get reimbursed 60%+ for the purchase price
......... city wins
............The City will decontaminate the site
............. neighborhood wins
................The City will (potentially) be reimbursed for the clean-up costs
................. city wins
....................The City will build a new park
..................... neighborhood wins
.......................The Riverwalk will have a major connection point created
........................ city wins
...........................One parcel of crappy dangerous unused land will become a place for everyone to enjoy
_____WE ALL WIN_____
9 comments:
Nobody wins here. This is a mockary of the system, and a complete waste of tax dollars during very trying times.
I would agree with you if the economy was good right now, but it is projects like this one that should take a "back-burner" until things turn around.
After all...the property isn't going anywhere! Only the City of Peabody would be interested in purchasing land of this caliber.
I heard that there was a "hazardous material" spill up at the site of the new bowling alley on Rt.1!! Has anyone heard of this?? How come it wasn't broadcast in the papers?
Hmmm.
I strongly agree, this is complete blasphomy that this is even on the radar right now.
Shouldn't we be spending more time worrying about the thoughts of denying our children a proper education in Peabody? Last I heard, they were talking about closing a school?
But we're buying contaminated land?
Now we are left with a big hole in the ground! Click HERE
OG says..
this is a time for vision...a time to look at the horizon and not simply beneath the nose on your face...as for the Rte 1 bowling alley 'spill' ?? you are correct...there is KNOWN pollution in the ground there near the old billiards hall/motel area...that whole excavation and development project is a complete mess...it is one of the biggest mistakes we have permitted in this city and it barely gets any attention...I doubt very much that you will ever see a Brunswick bowling complex there...and right now the land will probably lay desolate for years to come...if I were an abutting neighbor I would not be happy at all.
Patriot is broadcasting again!!!!!
Published: July 10, 2008 05:30 am
(Peabody councilor, mayor at odds over Walnut Street park plan)
This was the headline 7 months ago. The CC and Mayor are no closer then before. This is a sure sign that nothing truly gets done in this city.
Google the headline above for the story.
Well I agree that things sometimes move very slowly here in Peabody.
But the main issue as I see it here in Peabody is that a few City Councilors - who frankly seem to be against almost everything - are acting to hold up ANY change in the City at all.
They don't even come up with good reasons for their opposition. They just seem contrarian.
I strongly disagree with Pete and pundit - they obviously have had little or no experience in land issues within the State of Massachusetts if they think that this is a unique site because of the pollution present.
Almost every property in any industrial area (now or in the past) in New England is going to have some level of contaminants found on it - and there are many appropriate methods for cleaning these sites up to "clean" standards.
The fact is that this is a very good property to purchase because A) cheap price and 60% paid for by the state
B) good location for a park for neighborhood, Riverwalk and Walnut St. revitalization
C) the City has resources that private companies do not have in getting grants and subsidies to clean up brownfield sites like this one.
I am so tired of the simple-minded "either-or" thinking that appears in some of the comments above.
The grant program is designated for buying open space. If the Mayor doesn't get authorization from the Council to purchase the land, the city won't get the money. Period. Some other community will get it instead. That funding isn't available for schools, as much as they need it.
State politicians LOVE to fund grant programs that have ribbon-cutting ceremonies with high PR value - like parks and streets and shiny new schools. You can't have a ribbon cutting for buying new textbooks. Or paying competitive salaries for teachers. Or new boilers.
All the cities and towns are in competition for state grant money. Do you seriously think Peabody should stop applying for funding for amenities, just because we also have potholes and many, many other needs??? If you want to reprioritize funding, you need to be running for state rep. Yeah, and good luck with that.
OG says...
fear not PI...your astute City Councilors have voted in favor of this project continuation...they have seen the light...albeit with some liability reservations...so my next question is this...will the park depicted on the drawings actually exist there in my lifetime?
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