Resident requests to purchase strip of school land near Wiggins Street; board says no immediate decision

Bruce Kirakoff, a recently moved resident who lives near the Wiggins Street School, asked the board to consider selling or granting an easement for a small strip of district land east of his property to allow construction of a garage or workshop.

Kirakoff told the board he would pay for a survey and believed a 20-foot strip would be sufficient and would not reduce the school property’s value; he said portions of the land fall into a steep ravine and are not buildable. "Twenty feet would enable me to build something there that I could have a little workshop for my jewels as well as some cars," he told the board.

Board members and staff said they had discussed the parcel previously and noted there are three parcels along Wiggins Street; one board member described the parcel as roughly a half-acre in total and cautioned that selling a portion could raise questions about minimum lot sizes, future use, and how an easement would transfer with the property. The superintendent said the district must remain cautious until decisions about long-term facility locations are finalized (the superintendent referenced work on a possible new school site on Meadow Lane).

No formal motion was made and the board did not vote on Mr. Kirakoff’s request during the meeting. Board members said they would continue to communicate with Kirakoff and staff to assess options, including surveys or a potential permanent easement if district policy or grant rules required maintaining acreage counts.

Ending: The board accepted the request for consideration; staff and the resident will continue informal conversations and no sale, easement, or other transaction was approved during the meeting.