Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Springfield purchases former downtown bakery, VNA buildings

The town of Springfield will purchase two downtown properties, both on Main Street, with plans for possible redevelopment and more downtown green space.


www.eagletimes.com

www.rutlandherald.com




16 comments :

  1. Does not require a town vote he says,maybe out of respect for the resident's in this town.they should of had a vote on it,spending all that money and taking the properties off the tax list,all while the budget is going up,doesn't seem to smart to me,Here's a question,does our town manager even live in Springfield ?

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    Replies
    1. Spoken (and typed) with that "old Springfield" mentality. Kudos! Let's just keep doing what we have been doing for the last 35 years, that should fix things.

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    2. 4:28pm maybe you like high taxes and wasting money,i really don't care for it,how is wasting $194,000 dollars gonna do anything for this town,that doesn't include the cost of tearing them down if they decide to,i think we have enough views of the black river already

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    3. 8:13 which do you think offers a better path forward for our community.

      Option A.
      The properties mentioned in the article continue to be owned by Christopher Mason. He does not improve the property, just sits on it. Potential businesses are interested in opening near or in one of his properties, but because how dilapidated they are, they refuse. His properties continue to clog downtown redevelopment eliminating potential revitalization, jobs, and future tax revenue. BUT We SAVED $190K

      Option B
      The town of Springfield invests $190k and controls the property. They tear down one of the buildings opening up access to the beautiful resource that sits behind it. Families, adults, and visitors enjoy the new access, there is new traffic downtown, PEOPLE. People need things. Businesses provide things. New stores open, because there is more activity, new businesses pop up. The properties look better, more attractive, people like being downtown. People see what a nice downtown we have, they see how affordable housing is in Springfield. They buy a home, they invest some money in their home. Property values increase. Taxes go down.

      You could argue that option B may never work. But option A has been the choice for the past 35 years, how has that worked?

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    4. George T. McNaughton12/27/16, 1:57 PM

      The Town was recently turned down on a grant because it had not used up the grant/revolving loan monies which it had accumulated over the years while it did little to stem the downward spiral. These are the funds tapped for this project, they could not be used to reduce taxes. There is, however, concern over the tax increase -- the budget is not yet finalized.

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  2. Turning unused, run down properties into something that would improve the look and function of downtown is not a BAD idea, but if the Selectboard and Town Manager REALLY want to improve downtown, they'll buy the dive apartments along River st. and at the end of Summer st. and tear THEM down also. It is especially jarring to drive down Summer st. past those beautiful, and yes, EXPENSIVE homes only to round the corner and find low rent dumps with NO DOORS and TREES growing out of the roof!!!! Better to have vacant lots than hovels for drug addicts and criminals.

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  3. I've got uninformed opinions on this, but I'd really like to see some studies of other downtown revitalization projects and whether they included the town purchase of commercial real estate.

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  4. Anybody know the story on that black pickup truck which has been parked there at least two years and now has three flat tires?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Check to see if the registration is current. If it's not, you may be able to do something about it.

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    2. Last I heard he'll take $200 for it. Runs.

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    3. Where is it located?

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  5. Mr Yennerell is definitely a positive leader. He's trying to reverse YEARS of neglect. Give him a break.

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  6. If this property is for sale why is it not listed?I think that investers should go direct to the owner.Why does the town need to be in the middle?I don't know the whole story,but if the property is up for sale I think it should be offered to the public first.Who knew it was for sale?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There aren't any investors because the town is a crap hole.

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    2. Rich, we don't want you buying it,we want it torn down.

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  7. Option C: Let time take its toll. Eventually in 200 years those building will have rotted away. But I do like B.

    ReplyDelete


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