BRUNSWICK

A group of Mere Point residents expressed their dissent regarding the possibility of utilizing tax acquired property for public use at the town council meeting Tuesday night.

Heather Osterfeld, Angela Anderson and Joan Sutcliffe read in a statement also signed by Karl and Arabella Strovink, Wendy Walsh, Jerielle Young, Blake and Joanne Appleton and Glenn Anderson.

The statement said they had recently been made aware that the property at 946 Mere Point Road had been tagged for potential rezoning for public use. The property had been taken over by the town last year for failure to pay property taxes.

The property, consisting of about four acres and a cottage Town Manager John Eldridge said is uninhabitable due to mold issues, has a town appraised value of $221,900. The outstanding tax debt on the property when acquired by the town was $64,666.

“There’s a whole process we go through to acquire it which involves notification and subsequent to the acquisition we try to work with the people and the family too. For the amount of taxes that are involved here, it’s a pretty substantial piece of property,” Eldridge said.

At the town council meeting, the Mere Point residents were assured the town went through all possible means to reconcile the tax debt with the owners and their family.

The statement read to the council cited “near certain environmental damage,” poor site for public swimming, multiple alternate locations for public access and that it would be “irresponsible” for the town to do anything other than sell it as a residential property.

The statement also read: “We believe an additional public access point within such close proximity would alter the long-standing residential, single-family zoning president established on Mere Point.”

The statement said that adding public access to the Mere Point neighborhood was an “undue and unfair burden” upon residents who “have invested life savings to enjoy and protect the natural, tranquil beauty and serenity of the area.”

Osterfeld requested transparency and direct involvement moving forward, adding she has been directed to speak directly with Eldridge about the matter. Eldridge concurred, saying he is, indeed, the point of contact for such matters.

“I told her a while ago that it had been looked at,” Eldridge said, adding he never heard anything about swimming being a consideration at the site.

Eldridge clarified that the town had been looking for potential sites for public mooring and since the Mere Point property was on the water, it was only natural the town study it’s potential.

The report probably won’t be finished until the fall but Eldridge said based on what was said at the town council meeting in terms of topography and distance to open water, it’s likely the property will be sold.

Eldridge said that the town simply needed to take a close look at the property considering it’s value and location.

dmcintire@timesrecord.com