A cold day somewhere

Well, no attempt at sitting on the deck and trying to tap at the keys to "write" a piece this morning. Was up and out there early with the dogs, and the unanimous decision was this Monday morning must have been a preview of the concept of "a cold day in hell".

Might be seeing a few more of examples of that soon I suppose, both weatherwise and when discussing whether certain things happen.

Anyway ...

Back to reality.

Can you see a benefit to the town in buying the land on Mill Road?

If you can't, I honestly submit to you that you aren't really looking for one. 

What is it then?

Well the biggest potential benefit isn't the presently touted reason to buy up the land at the $1,465 million price tag so we have a site available an unknown number of years down the road to build a new public safety complex.

The more I ponder this little matter though, the more I realize this is being sold somewhat as a wager to hedge another bet. That though is usually is the type wager that costs you a lot less.

The true benefit is control of the land, the ability to attempt to shape its development and use, Note the use of the word "attempt".  

The ability would be directly contingent on a number of things.  How much of the land can actually be developed? Can you get it rezoned? Potential benefit worth the risk has to be considered of course. Then one has to factor in whether what has been touted as an ideal site presently for the complex, will remain ideal when the rest of the land you plan to sell off is developed.  A fact that given the proposal will likely happen before you to get to building the complex on the site.

I am assuming the matter will get some attention at this Monday's meeting of the selectmen. Oops, sorry, this Tuesday's meeting.  Yes another Tuesday meeting on tap.  On of the listed matters on the agenda is a discussion concerning the Special Town meeting.  So I am guessing it will be touched upon, along with other factors.

Anyway, the feel on the street still is this has no chance at a 2/3s vote, but keeping in mind the fact that the street doesn't get to vote on this one, anything is possible.

Also keep in mind though that at down the road, in the time concept, needs of both police and fire will have to be addressed.  This is reality.  This is fact.

If there were any serious plan relative to not only buying land, but design layout and building time frame, the tenor of the discussion right now very well might be entirely different.

The simple fact is there is not any immediacy to the total idea.  I am not even sure if that future need is really what is driving this. these little tidbits go a long way in what I guess irks me a bit about even the proposal to consider the use of the stabilization fund for this.

Being willing to speculate with OPM, one would assume that if you purchase the entire parcel, that entire parcel may in fact be much more attractive to a prospective purchases than say, two-thirds of it. I am talking the part you can develop.

Would we spend the money and then turn down say a 20% return?

Still, it may well be we reach a time when we kick ourselves and say, well we could have bought that land.

The way I look at it presently though is we are rolling the dice either way.

It is one thing to have a vision.  It is something entirely different to be able to turn that vision into a workable reality.

I have seen three "visions" made real in the last decade, not one of which has morphed into the ideal presented at conception.  Over a longer period, I have seen other visions get blurry and disappear.

That too is a reality.  I get it.  Yet it is the yardstick we need to pull out and measure things by.

Anyway ...

Enough for today.

Be safe.