Peabody to purchase open space land

PEABODY – The Community Preservation Committee voted Tuesday night in favor of the city?s plan to prevent the development of Scouting Way, a 16-unit subdivision between Summit Street and Forest Street.?We?ve found a way to be proactive and stop that development,” said Director of Community Development Jean Delios. “The Mayor is stepping up and saying, ?Let?s buy it.?”The original plan involved converting several acres of unused Eastman Gelatine property full of wildlife into a single-family housing development. Residents protested at City Hall in February, arguing that when they purchased their homes on surrounding streets, they were told that the land would never and could never be developed. They also expressed fears of flooding, sewerage backups, traffic, and overcrowding – issues that they believe would result from the proposed Scouting Way subdivision.In effort to prevent such a negative impact on the neighborhood, Bonfanti and his Community Development staff have decided to purchase the land and retain it for open space and recreational use only.?It?s a nice win for the community,” said Bonfanti. “It alleviates all those concerns with drainage problems up on Raymond Circle?By us doing this, it protects the watershed?and we get some recreational areas, as well.”The property would be acquired by the city for $550,000 with the use of Community Preservation Act Funds. Grants will fund any future recreational uses. Maintenance would be taken care of through the Parks Department.?Eastman Gelatine is trying to be a good neighbor,” said Bonfanti, who said the plan has been in the works for some time now. “As soon as we heard they were willing to sell that land and decided to put a development there, we tried talking to them?We just kept it quiet.”The next step is to present the idea before the City Council and receive authorization for the use of funds. Delios is hopeful the city will close on the property by December 2008.Any clearing of the land for potential ballparks is still in the planning stages, said Delios. She expects the property to sit tight as is for some time before any steps are taken. However, a completion date for recreational use has been estimated for July 2009.