Riverfront Land To Be Donated

Riverfront Land To Be Donated

WELCOME TO TOWN Randolph's new town manager, Richard Schnaedter, signed his contract as the first order of business at the Selectboard meeting Tuesday evening. "For the first time in quite awhile, we're whole, said a smiling Selectboard Chair Jim Hutchinson. Responded Schnaedter, "I'm honored to be here. It's a wonderful community." In the back row, from left, are Phyllis Forbes, Kevin Osha, and Peter Butterfield. In the front row are Heather Tallman, Schnaedter, and Hutchinson.(Herald photo / Robert Eddy)

For the second time in two weeks, the Randolph selectboard has agreed to accept a gift of Village property, this time to secure river frontage for recreation.

Two weeks ago, the board accepted a gift of 38 acres on Reservoir Hill from owner Madaleen Ellis.

At this Tuesday's evening meeting, they accepted a private gift of $6000 to purchase four acres of riverfront property next to the recreation field.

The donor wishes to remain anonymous.

The purchase, once it goes through, will leave the Town in control of all but 70 linear feet between the Main Street Bridge and the recreation field.

The idea came from the fact that Selectman Peter Butterfield is selling his home on School Street, said Paul Kendall of Braintree, who presented the proposal.

Kendall, who helped the town raise money for the ice skating rink area, had realized that only three private owners own riverbank land between the bridge and the rec field, on the south side of the Third Branch.

He told the Selectboard that two of the three are willing to sell their back acreage to the town, about two acres each. The two landowners are Peter and Dawn Butterfield and their neighbor, dentist Richart Yoshikawa. Kendall negotiated the very advantageous price of $3000 for each parcel.

Owners of the third parcel, Clayton and Lois Butterfield, are not interested in selling their 70-foot wide strip, Kendall said.

However, the additional land would be valuable for the town, even without that land, he said.

The disc golf course, built mostly on Peter Butterfield's land, could be expanded, and nature trails, interacting with the river, could be built, he said.

Attorneys for the town and the property owners are already looking over the deeds, and a surveyor has been contacted.

Selectboard Chair Jim Hutchinson asked how much the town would lose in taxes, and Kendall said that assessor Pat French had told him the valuation is very low on that land, much of which is in the flood plain.

When it came to a vote, Butterfield recused himself and Kevin Osha abstained. Hutchinson, Heather Tallman, and Phyllis Forbes all voted 'Yea."

Other Business

The Board agreed to a $22,280 contract with a Randolph Center firm, Green Mountain Pipeline, to replace some 15 manholes on the sewage line that runs from Randolph Center to the treatment plant in the village.

Infiltration of rainwater from that line results in a strain on the sewage system during a rainstorm, and finally, it's to be fixed. Joe Voci said the funds were available in the town's sewage fund.

Dr. Robert Mollica won approval of a hookup from the Randolph Animal Hospital into that same sewage line. However, he requested a waiver of the $6500 hook-up fee. His waiver request was referred to the Selectboard's water and sewer committee, chaired by Tallman.

Budget Committee

Nancy Smith was appointed to the Budget Committee vacancy created by the resignation of Paul Rea.

Smith will serve only until Town Meeting. At that time there will be an election both for this term and one other.