Value of Keewaydin Drive Property Debated

The commercial viability of a 7.7-acre parcel of land owned by the town was debated on Feb. 2 during the town deliberative session at Salem High School.

A warrant article related to the property, which is located on Keewaydin Drive, will move to voters in March. The article asks for authorization to sell the property if an opportunity presents itself in 2013.

The parcel is abutted by Brooks Properties, Osomor LLC and Salem Corporate Park.

One resident asked if the parcel could handle a fire station.

"Sizewise, it could house a fire station, (but) it's land-locked – it would be quite a challenge to unlock it," said Selectman Jim Keller.

Town Manager Keith Hickey said that preliminary value assessments on the property are at about $300,000.

"There has been proposed development to the general area out there," Hickey said. "There has been no use of this property by the town in the 30 years that we've owned it."

Resident Betty Gay was skeptical about interest in the property given the percentage of the acreage that is wetlands.

"It looks like very few people could be interested in this property," she said, adding that it may just be the abutters. The background on the warrant article also reads that the land may only have value to the abutters.

Hickey agreed that there are probably just a few potential suitors, but said that if it doesn't make sense for the town to sell the property, then he would assume the Board of Selectmen would be unwilling to do so.

The proposed Keewaydin Drive extension does not go through the property.

The request for sale authorization will appear as Article 15 on the ballot.