North Adams Council OKs Sale of Historic Church Street Properties
The home garnered 25 bids and got so much interest the agent had to add on staff.
A fourth property at 0 High St. was sold for $18,000.
"So very exciting times for us," Mayor Jennifer Macksey. "The Church Street properties in particular had several, several viewings. I think we got close to 25 offers on the properties."
The houses generated a lot of interested once posted on Zillow, showing up in a wide variety of Facebook groups from historic houses to Star Trek (after someone spotted an Enterprise poster) and other social media.
The offers went through a screening process, said the mayor, with those who eschewed inspections and were prepared to pay cash moving up the list.
"So in my communication, you see what the selling price is versus what it's due," she said. "Keep in mind we still have to pay some legal imposing costs out of those numbers."
The city issued a request for quotes for a real estate agency and selected Bishop and West Real Estate, with Pam Tworig as the agent. Recent legislation allows municipalities to engage agents to dispose of foreclosed properties rather than going through an auction or request for proposals.
• Veselko Buntic of Woodside, N.Y., who owns a number of properties in the city including the Dowlin Block on Main Street and the Tower and Porter Block on Eagle Street (which is being renovated into apartments), is buying 116 Church, the Hodge House. He offered $54,001 for the 4,244 square-foot property, which was listed for $53,000. He plans to restore it into a home.
• James Honaker of Carlisle is purchasing 124 Church (Walker House) and the empty lot at 34 Arnold for $85,000. The 6,076 square-foot house was listed at $67,000 and the lot, where an apartment building had been demolished, at $21,000. He also plans to renovate it, probably into a home.
• Breen M. Mahony of New York City is purchasing the former parsonage at 130 Church for $42,000, the price it was listed. The house is 4,194 square feet. Mahony, an architect, owns other properties in the city and plans to develop it into two units.
The fifth property, also a tax taking, is being purchased for $18,000 by Thomas A. Ralys and Cathy J. Ralys, with a High Street address. The vacant lot had been occupied by 29-31 High St., a four-apartment building that was demolished by the city in 1998 but judgment wasn't entered until February of this year. They are buying the land to enhance their adjacent property and prevent it from becoming a dumping spot.
The votes were unanimous for the High Street sale; Councilor Wayne Wilkinson abstained from the votes on the Church Street structures.
The mayor said it was recommended by the city's Land Court attorney David Coppola of Coppola & Coppola to bring the purchase-and-sale orders to council for approval.
"So if there's any title issues down the road, we've done everything that we can as a municipality," she said.
In response to a question from Councilor Keith Bona, the mayor said there were a handful of bids for a package deal but she was more interested in spreading out the risk. If the separate sales had not come through, she would have considered the deals.
She applauded Tara Jacobs of the Governor's Council, whose inquiries seemed to get the ball rolling after years of the properties languishing in Land Court, and Tworig for her efforts.
"She did a really great job in showing and really marketing to people," said Macksey. "And what's great to me is it all came back to people who are connected to North Adams in different ways."
The two Queen Anne mansions and former parsonage on Church have been vacant for years and are in poor condition. The city has been in Land Court for four years trying to acquire the structures for back taxes after owner Franklin E. Perras Jr. died in 2017.
The tax taking was finalized in February and the properties went on the market in July — and were snapped up within weeks.
Pictures of the insides are a contrast in extravagant carved wood moldings and fireplaces, brass hardware and Venetian glass against piles of collapsed plaster from ceilings and walls, peeling paint and wallpaper, and water damage.
Councilor Lisa Blackmer asked if there was anyway to clawback the properties if the owners didn't follow through, but there is just a deadline to complete the purchase.
"Whether they fix the properties or not, they still go back on the tax roll, which means we kind of start collecting taxes on them again, which is a good thing for the rest of the taxpayers in the city," said Councilor Ashley Shade.
"I just want to say that I frequently walk by these places on my evening walks, and I am glad to see that there's something is finally moving again," said Council President Bryan Sapienza. "I look forward to seeing Church Street brought back to the original glory it was."
In other business, the council approved the transfer of $89,220 from the Landfill Reserve Account to purchase a new scale for the transfer station. Macksey said the current scale is about 35 years old and parts can no longer be found to keep it running. The purchase will leave about $504,000 in the account.
• Councilor Deanna Morrow submitted her resignation to City Council effective Sept. 1. President Bryan Sapienza said with three months left in the term, he recommended leaving the seat open. He thanked her for her service and appointed Councilor Wayne Wilkinson to fill her seat on the Public Safety Committee.
The council had said their goodbyes to Morrow at her last meeting in August.
• The mayor appointed Ciera Dowling to fill the unexpired term ending Dec. 31 of Jessica Lincourt on the Board of Assessors, and Reid Soloman-Lane to the Board of Registrars for a term expiring Aug. 24, 2028.
Dowling started as city assessor at the end of August. She holds a bachelor of science in business management from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and has worked the last six years for Tourists.
"She has hit the ground running and is eagerly awaiting our tax presentation," said Macksey.
• The City Council approved National Grid to relocate two utility poles on Ashton Avenue. A request for a pole on Massachusetts Avenue was withdrawn as not being necessary. This is being done to accommodate a driveway to the Blackinton Mill.
• The City Council gave final approval to the Smart Growth Overlay District ordinance, which had been missing sections when the original document was approved, and an accessory dwelling use ordinance.
An ordinance creating a new affordable housing trust was postponed to the next meeting; General Government Committee will be meeting on the ordinance Wednesday evening. Councilor Keith Bona, chair of the committee, said a response from the city solicitor will be discussed.
• The mayor read a proclamation declaring September as Child Cancer Awareness Month, symbolized by the color gold. Mary Ann King represented the AYJ Fund, a local charity that provides local support and funds research. The founders, Kathy and Joseph Arabia, were in Boston to testify at a hearing on Beacon Hill.
The Police Department is selling redesigned patches this month to support the AYJ Fund.
• A request by the mayor to adopt state law that would establish a procedure for disposing of abandoned funds held in custody of the city was referred to General Government, with Wilkinson voting no.
Tags: historic buildings, land sale account, Real Estate,
