Marblehead vote fails to purchase property again

MARBLEHEAD – For the third time in three years voters considered buying the Angenica property on Longwood Drive and for the third time the positive vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to seal the deal.Article 21 attracted the most debate in the opening session of Town Meeting last night, and it was the only article to attract prolonged controversy out of the 28 the voters completed. Town Meeting will reconvene this evening at the Marblehead Veterans Middle School at 7:45 to vote on the rest of the 45-article warrant, including $19.6 million in repairs for the Marblehead Village School.School Committee Chairman Amy Drinker dropped a positive bombshell last night: the Village School project will receive 40 percent state reimbursement after all, thanks to a series of town-state meetings arranged by new State Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead.Jeffrey Stracka screened a power point presentation on the Angenica property, 12.2-acre site off Longview Drive West that owner Mario Angenica wants to see to the town for $1.225 million, $70,000 less than last year and $250,000 less than he originally asked for in 2006. Angenica has Planning Board approval to build six homes on the property.Stracka pointed out that a new YMCA will open nearby this year and the property offers good hiking. He said the debt exclusion override needed to finance the purchase would cost the owner of a median $541,000 Marblehead home $14.80 a year at the most.Former Moderator Stephen Howe pointed out that there are other spending articles before the voters this year. “We can’t afford this,” he said.”Biff” Michaud asked the voters to think about kids and their need for recreation, a healthy alternative to blue hair and video games.An unidentified man replied, “If my kid has blue hair it’s my fault, it’s not the recreation land.”Indefinite postponement of the purchase failed, 351-337. The purchase garnered 377 favorable votes and 347 against. Two-thirds of the 724 persons voting would have been 483.