Say no to Lincoln Financial land
Developer Steve Duprey purchased the Lincoln Financial property, already sold one building to the state, and now plans to sell them the other one. A total of maybe $400,000 in property taxes annually will no longer be collected. Mr. Duprey has offered to donate to the city an 18-acre lot for development and a 135-acre lot with a conservation easement, but this must be done by Dec. 31. Otherwise he threatens to sell them to the state, not a great loss as they presently pay minimal taxes.
I believe the city should decline both parcels. I am tired of people imposing deadlines on the city which result in poor decisions. The city already has more conservation land than it can manage, it can’t control illegal campers and routinely must pay five-figure sums to clean up trash from them. This parcel might have potential for solar arrays or tiny houses but not with a conservation easement. If Mr. Duprey wants a conservation tax deduction, he should donate the property to a qualified land trust.
Similarly, while part of the 18-acre lot could be a site for a better and cheaper police station, the city has refused to consider that. And the city has a horrible record as a housing developer, selling the former unemployment security building for millions below cost to an upscale developer instead of for low income housing. Let Mr. Duprey pick the developer, he might have better luck.