Water Department Land For Sale to Bristol
By David Huck | Correspondent at April 27, 2024 | 9:00 am | Print
The city of Bristol has presented an offer to local officials to purchase a parcel of land the water department owns to use as an athletic field.
The parcel is about 5 acres and is located on Mix Street in Bristol. According to Mayor Art Ward, Bristol has offered $4,600 an acre for the land, making the total deal worth about $23,000.
Phil Sherwood, Mayor Timothy O’Brien’s spokesperson, declined to comment on the purchase, citing “ongoing negotiations.”
The city had been using the land for athletic purposes under a “mutual understanding” reached between the municipalities years ago, Ward said. The land is located near the A. Bartlett Giamatti Little League Training Center and the field where youth from the eastern United States vie for a spot in the World Championships each summer.
According to online land records, New Britain owns three other parcels on Mix Street: a 39.90 acre plot assessed at $125,730; a 1.61 acre plot assessed at $5,040; and a 44.50 acre plot with two small buildings that’s assessed at $158,200. According the records, the last time there was a recorded sale on these properties were in 1933 and 1969, respectively.
“The land was previously used for baseball activities, softball basically,” Ward said of the land the city is hoping to acquire. “Then it was discontinued and the city of Bristol needless to say is still looking for ball fields as they’ve started a girl’s softball league in town and that’s the only league right now that doesn’t have its own home so to speak. So we’re looking to purchase this property for that purpose.”
Ward said he has been in contact with the city through Mayor O’Brien’s office and they’ve in turn have asked for a bid to consider.
Since the land is near a reservoir, the state has restrictions on the uses of surrounding properties to ensure water is kept safe for drinking. Bristol would be barred from adding a concessions stand, for example.
“We’ve also contacted the state Department of Health and we’ve gone through the litany of what is allowed and what isn’t allowed,” Ward said. “Basically what the department of health said is that as long as it stays in its present condition for its present use—meaning the girls softball as we requested—they would have no problem.”
Bristol approached New Britain about the idea because leaders felt that it would be in the best interest of the city to have it be under their ownership. “New Britain wouldn’t have to worry about it,” Ward said.
“We’re hoping that the New Britain City Council will look favorably upon it,” Ward said of the deal.
