Town Council Abandons Land for $25,000 'Voluntary Compensation'

The Town Council agreed on Monday night, Nov. 4, to abandon a paper street for $25,000 in “voluntary compensation” from the abutters. 

The vote was 4-1 to abandon so-called “Stella Drive” in the Hampden Meadows neighborhood between Oak Grove Drive and Charles Street. It came after a public hearing that covered two other nights in October. Town Councilor Ann Strong was the only nay vote.

The request for the abandonment started with a property holder who wants to construct a house adjacent to the paper street -- land that he wanted to give to the neighbors. Neighbors supported the abandonment and made an offer to compensate the town for the land when it became apparent that the Town Council would not favor the request without receiving some type of compensation for the “surplus land.”

At the public hearing at a special Town Council meeting on Oct. 23, the Town Council asked the neighbors to come up with an assessed value for the land. The neighbors hired a professional appraiser, Robert Ryan, to assess its value.

Ryan told the Town Council that the value of the land was about $25,000, given an analysis of four other recent sales in Barrington. That figure is about half the value given the land by Tax Assessor Michael Minardi, who told the councilors that he had not analyzed Ryan’s assessment.

Town Solicitor Mike Ursillo recommended the abandonment given certain uncertainties with state law that governs these types of land transactions, particularly negotiating with neighbors. 

“If you get this,” said Town Councilor Bill DeWitt, “it’s a gift. This number would be a starting point, not the end point if we could negotiate.” 

The abandonment will take place only when the town receives its compensation – within 10 days of Monday’s meeting. If compensation is not received within that time frame, the land will not be abandoned and will continue as “Stella Drive.”

The neighbors offered to provide the voluntary compensation within 7 days; the Town Council tacked on the additional 3 days.