Auction is still stalled

The postponed auction for the Great Barrington Fairgrounds has been postponed again for another month.

[Peppy]

Well I am sure that cost is an issue and I am sure the board would like to see the property produce tax revenue, but you do bring up a good. You can always raise more money, but you can't create new land. It is a finite resource.

It may be easier said than done, but you would think that private contributions could save the property from sale. Wealthy people bequeath large sums of money for such causes all the time. Isn't there an aged, muli-millionaire in the area that would not desire a public park with his name on it to leave as part of his or her legacy? To make their own mark on the community?

[pat the painter]

HellerCarbonCapNTradeCo wrote:

And, of course, not a peep from the Great Barrington Selectboard over a willingness to consider buying the 56-acre parcel for use by the town and for the benefit of future generations of Great Barrington's children.
Residents of GB will longingly look back to this period, when the entire 56-acre Fairgrounds could have been acquired, bought, and paid for by the Town for 1/4 the cost of its brand new firehouse.
Is anyone doing any thinking in that Town Hall?

Do you really believe the town of GB could even operate such a facility? They can not run a police department, handle simple real estate transactions and have been on the wrong end of lawsuits. GB screwed up free tree maintenance on Main Street.

[Peppy]

pat the painter wrote:

<quoted text>
Do you really believe the town of GB could even operate such a facility? They can not run a police department, handle simple real estate transactions and have been on the wrong end of lawsuits. GB screwed up free tree maintenance on Main Street.

Seriously, are they that bad that they could screw up a public park? That is really sad, but I keep reading about their incompetence, so I guess there must be some truth to it.

[pat the painter]

Peppy wrote:

<quoted text>
Seriously, are they that bad that they could screw up a public park? That is really sad, but I keep reading about their incompetence, so I guess there must be some truth to it.

They are that bad. They screwed up the sale of the two schools, look at how expensive the fire station is and they added a small building in the back. the cell tower problems, and I could go on and on.

[pat the painter]

HellerCarbonCapNTradeCo wrote:

<quoted text>
Just because there have been some inept morons running town government should not be an excuse to stop the town from acquiring a valuable and necessary resource the value of which will be more apparent as the years go by.
Part of that value can be realized immediately if the Town buys the land, and then just cuts the grass.
That would create open space for public use.
The town wouldn't even need to cut that grass.
One creative poster on these threads had the excellent suggestion to allow residents to plant victory garden plots.
But if the town doesn't buy the land, none of these good ideas can bear fruit.

According to Buddy Atwood the town can not bid on the property without having a town meeting to vote and allow the town money to do so.

[koos]

HellerCarbonCapNTradeCo wrote:

And, of course, not a peep from the Great Barrington Selectboard over a willingness to consider buying the 56-acre parcel for use by the town and for the benefit of future generations of Great Barrington's children.
Residents of GB will longingly look back to this period, when the entire 56-acre Fairgrounds could have been acquired, bought, and paid for by the Town for 1/4 the cost of its brand new firehouse.
Is anyone doing any thinking in that Town Hall?

So you think the select board can just arbitrarily purchase property at will without the public voting on it?????? What are you nuts???? The property only became available after the 2 year (required by law) failure to pay taxes. The town would have to have a special election in order to lawfully take over the property, that is if the town's people went along with it. And then let's remember that it takes it off the tax rolls.
Did you get your tax bill this week? Everyones bill is up by at least 12%!!!!!!

[Distressed Property Owner]

Does anyone have 2.5 million dollars to buy the property?