Hull Declares Just One Of Five Land Parcels To Be Surplus

Cancel any plans you might have had for a big Wilmington land auction.

Residents had placed five articles dealing with town-owned land on the May 4 Annual Town Meeting Warrant by citizens' petition. Each of them asked town meeting voters to give the town permission to sell these particular parcels.

However, in order for that to happen, the town first needs to declare those parcels to be "surplus" properties.

The responsibility for determining if a town-owned parcel is surplus belongs to Town Manager Jeffrey Hull. In the case of these five parcels, he determined that only one, the parcel mentioned in Article 33, to be surplus.

As a result, Articles 29, 30, 31 and 37 are moot and will therefore likely be passed over at Town Meeting.

Hull said different factors, including location and use potential, are considered when determining whether or not a parcel is surplus and can be sold or if the town should hold on to it.

"Part of the determining factor is future use opportunities or if the land should be kept as open space," said Hull.

Hull explained that the parcels mentioned in Articles 29 and 30 are both located adjacent to to 50 acres of conservation land, leading him to determine they should be held as open space. Both of those articles had been put forth by a citizens' petition led by Mark Nelson. In his articles, Nelson states the parcels are called "Wilmington Gardens Additions" in land records.

The parcels mentioned in Articles 31 and 37 were denied surplus status because Hull said there is a belief they may be used or developed by the town at a future date. Article 31 is described as being off Page Street and was petitioned by James Walsh and Dina Qualizza.

The parcel mentioned in Article 33 was determined by Hull to be surplus and is assessed at $13,700. The only description of the land in the article is that it is described as "Map 80 Parcel 42B" in land documents. Ther article was petitioned by Rina Watne.