Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Acquisition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parks board asks finance panel for $250,000 to pursue 6‑acre parcel in Hoppers Birch Pond
Summary
After months of delays on boardwalk repairs, the Parks Commission voted to ask the Board of Finance to reallocate $250,000 from boardwalk funding to pursue purchase of a privately held 6‑acre inholding in the Hoppers Birch Pond area; staff warned the purchase could further delay boardwalk work but commissioners said the open‑space loss would be irreversible.
The Board of Parks Commissioners voted to ask the Board of Finance to reallocate $250,000 of the first year of boardwalk funding to pursue acquisition of a privately held 6‑acre parcel inside the Hoppers Birch Pond open space.
A representative of the Hoppers group, Eric Matson, told the board the privately owned parcel may be sold and offered community help to stabilize the boardwalk short‑term if the city pursues purchase. Matson said the group is "excited" about the possibility and willing to assist with short‑term maintenance to keep access open while long‑term plans are developed.
Staff cautioned the acquisition would require cash (Open Space Acquisition funds are limited) and said the seller’s asking price is higher than the parcel’s assessed value. "If we were to preserve and save the 6 acres, we would have to do a cash transaction," the Chair said, noting the city’s Open Space account does not have sufficient funds to cover the full asking price this year.
Park staff described a larger revitalization plan for the Hoppers and Roberts properties they estimate at roughly $2,500,000 to address dam work, boardwalk engineering and accessibility improvements. Staff repeatedly warned that the boardwalk itself requires significant work and that shifting the first‑year $250,000 would push some boardwalk work into later years. "This really needs wholesale revitalization," the staff member said, adding the group’s short‑term fixes could buy a few years but would not replace a full engineering solution.
Commissioners weighed the trade‑offs between buying contiguous open space that could be developed and retaining funding earmarked for boardwalk repairs. Some commissioners framed the choice as protecting irreplaceable open space; others raised concerns about deferring urgent repairs and whether future years’ funding will materialize as planned.
After discussion, Commissioner Ralphie Riddle moved that staff ask the Board of Finance to reallocate the $250,000 first‑year boardwalk allocation toward a possible property acquisition in the Hoppers. The motion was seconded by the Chair and carried by voice vote.
The request will be presented to the Board of Finance at its meeting next Tuesday; staff and the Hoppers group were asked to attend. Park staff said the city may still be unable to reach a purchase agreement, but the reallocation request is intended to give the city standing in negotiations and a near‑term option to protect the parcel if the owner accepts a cash offer.
Next steps: staff will appear at the Board of Finance meeting, continue negotiations with the property owner and report back to the Parks Commission on the outcome and any impacts to the boardwalk schedule.
