Selectmen move to protect alleyway, survey Church Street property

FARMINGTON – Selectmen took a series of steps relating to the Church Street parking lot project Tuesday evening, including securing a right-of-way along a nearby alleyway.

The board voted to have the town’s attorney, Frank Underkuffler, work with the owners of four parcels of land in the downtown in order to secure a pedestrian easement through the alley that connects Broadway and Church Street. Approximately 15 feet wide, the alleyway provides access to 112 Church Street, where town officials plan to create a new parking lot.

Voters approved acquiring the property from the estate of James F. Murphy at a special town meeting on June 23 for $79,000. The understanding is that the property would be torn down to create a 26- to 28-space parking lot. Money for the purchase, as well as the ensuing demolition and construction of the lot, would come out of the tax increment financing district’s Downtown TIF Reserve Account.

According to local historians, the house located on the property was built just after the Civil War and was originally owned by John Church, for whom Church Street is named. Members of the Farmington Historical Society were consulted on the possibility the structure could have some historical value, but none was found. An inspection of the property showed that major renovation would be needed in order to meet basic life safety requirements required of an apartment building.

The new lot is designed to alleviate some of the parking needs of the downtown. The alleyway off Church Street provides easy access, in between Reny’s and the Homestead Restaurant & Bakery. Other abutters include the Children’s Task Force, who maintains a parking lot near the alley, and the Church Street Commons.

The proposed agreement would clarify Registry of Deeds records, providing the town with right-of-way through a pedestrian access easement. While the alleyway may in fact be owned by the town, the records, which go back several decades, are not currently clear on that point. The agreement would protect the town’s ability to provide access for pedestrians walking to and from the parking lot. For the landowners, the release protects them against a lawsuit if someone should slip and fall; Town Manager Richard Davis noted that the town itself is protected from such suits through the Maine Tort Claims Act.

In the future, Davis noted, there had been discussions about improving the alleyway with better lighting, a freestanding roof structure to protect pedestrians from falling ice and snow, and other elements. Those potential improvements are not included within the creation of a public way.

Two other motions by selectmen impact the multi-unit residence at 112 Church Street itself. The first was to survey the property, with ACME Land Surveying, LLC paid $1,300 to $1,500 to conduct the survey. The second motion paid $2,500 to Acadia Contractors, LLC to conduct an asbestos survey of the property. Some asbestos is believed to be in some ceiling and floor tiles, as well as potentially the roof.

Those funds will be paid for out of the TIF.