Property hearing may be shorter

MARBLEHEAD – Wednesday?s hearing on the taking of four Stony Brook Road properties by eminent domain could be shorter than expected, according to the town counsel.A month ago the town and Jeff Dinsmore had not reached agreement on the purchase of Dinsmore?s chemically contaminated house and land at 57 Stony Brook Road for $970,000, the figure approved by Town Meeting in May. The clean-up will cost an additional $277,000.The town also had not reached agreement on the purchase and clean-up of the vacant lot at 56 Stony Brook Road, the purchase of a portion of a house lot at 55 Stony Brook Road and a clean-up easement at 52 Stony Brook Road, totaling $1.8 million.All four properties were contaminated by run-off from the former town landfill, which is scheduled to be capped. Once the cleanups are done at 55, 56 and 57 Stony Brook Road those parcels will become public property.Town Counsel Lisa Mead said Friday that agreements have been reached on 55, 56 and 57 Stony Brook Road and no hearings will be needed on those properties.Selectmen still expect to hold a hearing on the eminent domain taking of a temporary clean-up easement at 52 Stony Brook Road. Once the re-mediation is complete, that portion of the property will return to the owner.Contractors were scheduled to begin the clean-up this fall and the eminent domain takings were proposed to make sure that work can go forward.