Council reviews 2006 vs. 2023 downtown plans; residents and staff debate 11-acre land purchase and Chestnut Square Park Phase 2

Town leaders reviewed differences between the 2006 and 2023 downtown master plans and discussed town-owned parkland and Chestnut Square Park Phase 2 during the Oct. 16 meeting, with public comment raising concerns about a prior land purchase and staff summarizing recent park construction.

Why it matters: The downtown master plan establishes zoning, building heights and how the town manages future redevelopment in its core; comments and staff updates touched on whether town-owned property is suitable for a community center, and on the cost and feasibility of park-phase work already under way.

Public comment on land purchase: Resident Dan Schellenkamp told the council he considers the July 11, 2023 purchase of an 11-acre parcel ‘‘an ill-advised purchase’’ and said council members voted to buy the land without reviewing taxpayer-funded due-diligence documents such as appraisals and environmental studies. Schellenkamp said the parcel contains creeks and a sanitary sewer line that limit developable acreage and that the $2,200,000 purchase price is now costing taxpayers more in foregone interest; he urged voters not to re-elect council members who approved the purchase.

Council and staff response: Council members and staff pushed back on claims that the land was unsuitable and said appraisal and market information supported the purchase. A council speaker noted the property had been appraised for more than the purchase price and said a local developer offered $500,000 more than the town’s purchase price; a staff comment in the meeting referenced an appraisal number of $3,800,000. Council members said the town had paid cash for the land and said moving utility lines and other adjustments are common practice when developing large parcels.

Downtown master plan update: Town staff summarized key differences between the 2006 and 2023 plans. The 2023 plan establishes three zoning districts for the downtown (including a downtown core and transitional residential areas), reduced allowable building heights from 75 feet to 50 feet in some areas, and created protections for existing uses such as churches and the VFW. Staff emphasized the 2023 plan includes zoning changes and UDO provisions designed to give the council direct oversight through conditional rezoning if proposed projects exceed specified thresholds.

Chestnut Square Park Phase 2 update: Staff recapped Phase 2 planning and the decision to move stormwater from an underground system under the multipurpose field into a relocated pond to contain costs. The town completed a Phase 2a package that included a detention-pond wall, sidewalk connections and new parking; staff reported $3.19 million spent to date on the larger $7.5 million concept and said roughly $4.3 million remained in the approved funding allocation. Staff described options for adding additional parking (about 40 spaces) if council elects to pursue Phase 2b or changes the design for a future community center on adjacent property.

Provenance: The land-purchase remarks occurred during public comment and resurfaced during council replies; the downtown master-plan presentation and Chestnut Square Park Phase 2 update were scheduled agenda items later in the meeting.

Ending: Staff repeatedly framed downtown redevelopment as contingent on property owners, market forces and future council decisions; no formal rezoning or land-sale actions were taken in the meeting.