LEWISTON — Neighbors of the former Pettingill Elementary School will get their park but not city help developing it, city councilors decided Tuesday.
Councilors decided against subdividing the 2.11-acre lot and selling part of it for housing lots. Instead, they kept the entire area for playground, park and recreation.
A crowd of about 80 people, mostly neighbors hoping to convince councilors to reserve the entire lot for recreation, erupted into applause and cheers when the final vote was cast. Councilors approved the park 6-1, with Mark Cayer the only no vote.
Cayer said he didn’t want to let potential new revenue get away, no matter how slight. He recognized the neighborhood’s passion, however.
“Two years ago I was in favor of developing the whole park into house lots,” Cayer said. “Over the past two years, the passion of the neighborhood has changed that and I’ve been willing to compromise with partial development and a smaller park.”
Lewiston officially closed Pettingill Elementary School in 2008, moving the students to Geiger Elementary. Neighbors have been using the former school’s playground as a community park ever since the school closed.
Developing the lot as a city park could cost up $55,000 for fencing, landscaping and site work, according to city estimates.
On the other hand, staff estimated the four subdivided lots could sell for up to $40,000 each.
Eleven residents spoke at Tuesday’s meeting, and most were in favor of the park. Planning Board member Paul Madore was the sole dissenter, saying the council needed to generate some revenue from the property.
“My message to the council this evening, as a Lewiston taxpayer and a lifetime resident, is to capitalize on the opportunity and return some of this land back to taxpayers in terms of tax revenue and not use it exclusively for a the park,” Madore said.
But neighbors doubted the house lots would mean much for city revenues. Jamie Weaver Bolduc of 81 Marble St. noted that several homes in the neighborhood have been on the market for years.
“Is it fair to put up land to build new houses?” she asked. “I don’t think it will help us. It’ll hurt us if we shut down Pettingill playground.”
Anna Bartel of 87 Pettingill St. said the park could actually help property values by making the area a closer, more desirable community. She said she hopes to found a Sunday afternoon bocce league in the park.
“I know that might be a little hyper-specific but a multi-generational, Sunday afternoon bocce league, in terms of quality of life and what the city needs, for me trumps hands down the few thousand dollars we’ll generate in taxes,” Bartell said.
Ted Walworth of 8 Manning Ave., one of the neighbors who helped form Friends of Pettingill to promote the park, said his group raised nearly $5,000 to help develop the park and would raise more.
The group will need to, councilors said. They said it was a difficult decision, in spite of the neighbors’ support.
Councilor Michael Lachance suggested making it clear that city bonds won’t be used to develop the park. Councilors agreed.
“I was on the side of finding a compromise, but tonight I have to go with the mass of people that came here to support it tonight,” Councilor Don D’Auteuil said.
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