So they got them. Actually, each speaker pretty much gave the same comment: that the town has "no compelling reason" to buy the land - not to block Larry's wind turbine proposal, or his affordable housing proposal, or his hints that it would be a good place for the Narragansett Tribe to build a casino.
Also, Larry's land was apparently scored for its potential value as open space and, according to Gentz, did not score well. The town has not yet received an appraisal on the land, which is currently assessed at $1.1 million, to see how that compares with LeBlanc's $3 million verbal asking price.
Council members Lisa DiBello and Gregg Avedisian were openly hostile to the idea of the town buying the land. Councilor Marge Frank remained silent through the meeting, but when asked by Gentz for her views, she agreed with the rest that there was "no compelling reason" to buy the land.
Gentz stayed scrupulously neutral in chairing the meeting, although he asked the small audience to comment on whether it was worth considering the deal to protect Frosty Drew from potential light pollution and our Route One Scenic Highway status. Again, the response was "no compelling reason."
So the Larry LeBlanc versus Charlestown saga continues. That may change tomorrow, next month or next year. Maybe Larry will make Charlestown an offer it can't refuse. Maybe, as one audience member speculated, Larry will donate the land to the town (and the crowd laughed). Maybe Larry will come up with new proposals that are even more wildly unpopular than he has to date.
But one thing's for sure - as long as this drags on, the less I'll have to worry about topics for new articles.
Author: Will Collette
