COLRAIN — Several years after its initial interest in the property, the town has acquired the now vacant lot at the corner of Main Road and Route 112, a step that aligns with the goal to expand the town’s common area.
“It’s the culmination of a very long process,” said Town Coordinator Kevin Fox.
In 2015, the town sought Town Meeting approval to buy and demolish an unoccupied building at 3 Main Road, but instead, the building was purchased by Denis Bordeaux.
“We were out of luck,” Fox said.
Two years later, the old tenement house was the site of a fatal crash. The property, known as the “Blue Block,” was badly damaged as a result, and was subsequently demolished.
Earlier this year, Bordeaux submitted a formal offer to the Selectboard regarding selling the property to the town, according to minutes of the April 27 Selectboard meeting.
“He knew we were interested,” Fox explained.
According to Fox, the $15,000 appropriation approved by the town in 2015 stayed on the books until this week, when the town closed on the sale of the property.
“We did quite a bit of negotiations,” he said, “and we ended up settling on a purchase price.”
The roughly half-acre parcel of land, located in close proximity to the town common, abuts two town parcels, making it an appealing purchase for the town, Fox said.
He noted that although there are no immediate plans for the property, it fits in with the town’s Village Intersection Improvement Project — a federally funded project that calls for an expanded common area, as well as new paving and new sidewalks. The acquisition of the 3 Main Road lot eliminates some of the necessary easements.
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne