Resident asks Danvers to accept M&T Bank’s 1 Federal Street parcel as historic park

At the Sept. 23 Select Board meeting, resident and Danvers Historical Society member Bill Casanow (self-identified) asked the board to pursue acceptance of a small parcel at 1 Federal Street, which he said M&T Bank offered to donate so long as the land is used as a public park commemorating a Revolutionary War encampment.

Casanow said he first contacted M&T Bank in January 2025 and was offered the parcel; on May 9 he was contacted by Jason Chvodrock, vice president, M&T Bank corporate real estate, with the offer that the parcel be conveyed to the town "so long as it solely was used as a public park." Casanow told the board the parcel is a 0.19‑acre undeveloped remnant abutting bank property and identified the owner as Conant Ventures Incorporated (parcel ID 062017 A). He said the parcel was classified as unbuildable, valued at $15,900 and assessed $74.74 in real estate taxes over the past four quarters.

“I originally walked forward the M&T Bank offer to the town of Danvers back in May. However, I was only notified on July 14 that the offer needs to be voted on by the select board and then possibly by town meeting in order to be accepted,” Casanow said. He described local proposals for naming and said town archivist supported the idea.

The Select Board declined to act on the request immediately and referred the matter to the town manager to research the process and legal steps required to accept the gift and to report back. The chair said the manager would look into the mechanics of acceptance.

Ending: Town staff will review the parcel’s ownership, deed restrictions, the donor’s conditions and the municipal acceptance process; the board took no formal vote to accept the property during the meeting.