In this city of ours, we’ve come to realize, if you’re not a developer, you’re nobody to City Hall. You may recall, as reported a couple of months ago in the American Journal, that the previous mayor wrote a letter to a local developer promising 90 parking spaces in the CVS parking area. You may also recall the current administration stating, in that same article, that the previous mayor “had no right in doing so” but that “the right thing to do” would be to stand behind that commitment.

Eight years ago the city made another commitment to all the abutters of paper streets throughout the entire city. The city sent letters to all the abutters telling us that “All Paper Streets” in the city have been vacated and all abutters have been given half the paper street (25ft) and will now be taxed on that additional land. This commitment would seem to be more binding than the parking lot commitment since money has exchanged hands for eight years. The property owners have held our part of the contract by continuing to pay our property taxes.

A developer has come forward and challenged the way the City handled the land exchange and the city has sided with the developer and told all the abutters on Chestnut Street that they have “no rights” to the property that they’ve been taxed on for eight years.

If you received one of these letters eight years ago, stating that you are now going to be taxed on an additional 25 feet of property, next year you will be losing that property. The city will be taking back that 25 feet. Call City Hall if you need verification. After you call City Hall, drive by Chestnut Street and see, first hand, how much support City Hall offers your average, tax paying homeowner. NONE!

Yes, they will offer the token meeting and offer explanations how the previous administration did the land exchange incorrectly, but passing the buck doesn’t help any of us on Chestnut Street as we watched old growth trees being cut down to make way for a road that will cross each of our properties.

Remember, if you received one of these letters eight years ago, drive by Chestnut Street and see what’s in your future. All paper streets are once again fair game for development and the developers are at City Hall daily locating every square inch of these old developments. Westbrook is a developer’s paradise!

Call City Hall and ask the questions. Call Mayor Chuluda, call Jerre Bryant, call Eric Dudley, call Rick Gouzie, call your city councilor. Voice your opinion. It’s too late for us on Chestnut Street and, unless you’re a developer, you probably won’t get any support either but start the phone calls now. You’ll hear a lot of “we’ll look into it” and “I wasn’t aware” but the end result will be a street across your back yard.

When we revert back to an ordinance of 20, 30 , 40 or, in the case of this development, more than 80 years ago, when these subdivisions were approved, it seems to us we’re circumventing the existing ordinance. The current administration owes the abutters of paper streets answers to a lot of unanswered questions.

First and foremost, WHY THE DOUBLE STANDARDS?!

Second, in an article from the American Journal dated Oct. 10, 2001, Jean Jessen, the former city assessor, said, in regard to a paper street off from Lincoln Street, that the abutter didn’t have to worry about the developer getting the old paper street. “That’s his land” were her words.

Third, in this same article, Don Mannette, the city development director at the time, talks of the area to be developed and states that it’s zoned R2, which allows two houses per acre. If that’s the case, why is the developer being allowed to build eight houses per acre?

Fourth, and probably most important to those of us who are losing our property, what does the city intend to do to refund eight years of taxes to all of the abutters throughout the city? This was the city’s decision to go back on its word. I hope you’re not expecting all the abutters to fill out all kinds of tax abatement forms. You screwed it up, you fix it!

We’re sure many more questions will arise as things progress. We look forward to addressing this issue in the future. Until then, be aware, you’ve let us all down!!

Mark & Donna LeClair

Westbrook

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