by Barbara Taormina
PEABODY – Residents will now be able to enjoy nearly four more acres of open, green space off of Lynnfield Street thanks to the Community Preservation Act.
The City Council approved three new CPA projects last week, but the largest by far was the purchase of 3.9 acres of land at 182 Lynnfield St. from Peabody native, Irene Zielski. Councilors voted unanimously in favor of the $775,000 deal, saying it will not only add to the city stock of public space, but will also spare an already crowded section of the city from more residential development.
“It’s just under four acres, it’s in a prime location and it’s flat,” Community Preservation Committee Chairman William Power told councilors during a Finance Committee meeting. “It’s a win-win for Peabody.”
The city plans to use the land for passive recreation, such as walking and picnicking, for informal games of sport and perhaps community gardens if feasible. Much of the site is open grass, but one corner is a wetland resource area. A permanent marker will be placed to acknowledge the land belonged to the Zielskis.
Peabody was one of the first communities to opt into the CPA program, which creates a fund to preserve open space, restore historic sites and create affordable housing. In 2001, voters approved a one-percent surcharge on property taxes to feed the fund, which up until 2008, was matched dollar for dollar by the state (mainly through fees on real estate transactions). But last year’s drop in home sales and the waves of red ink washing up on Beacon Hill forced the state to cut its share back from a 100 percent match to 40 percent, and the state Department of Revenue is projecting an even deeper cut down to 28 percent for the upcoming year. Peabody’s annual CPA funding has dropped from $1.2 million to $800,000.
While Zielski’s property will cost nearly an entire year’s worth of CPA funding at the current level, the parcel was appraised by an independent contractor who determined the best use of the land would be a five-lot subdivision, and the fair market value was $775,000.
“We took that at face value,” said Power. The city will spread the payments over five years, spending $155,000 annually. “Hopefully, that leaves funds available for other projects,” Power added.
And Zielski, a retired assistant city clerk who now volunteers in the clerk’s office at City Hall, will continue to live in her home on the property for as long as she is able and will continue to pay taxes on her house and garage.
Ward 1 Councilor Barry Osborne urged the committee to approve the deal warning that Lynnfield Street was a prime spot for development.
“Maybe 20 years ago it was deemed un-buildable, but the minute a developer comes in, what you hear is the city should have bought this land,” said Osborne. “Let’s not give anyone the opportunity to say the city should have bought this land.”
Zielski says her parents bought the homestead in 1921 – at that point it was more of a farm – and she would rather see the city entrusted with the land rather than developers.
Although Finance Committee members quickly fell into line to support buying the Zielski property and did so again two nights later for the full council vote, At-Large Councilor Anne Manning-Martin raised several questions about two smaller historical restoration projects that were also approved.
The committee voted to spend $6,800 to restore the “The Old Bullpen” mural on display at Heritage Industries on Foster Street and $8,400 to transfer old Peabody high school football reels from celluloid to DVD.
Manning-Martin questioned whether or not the “The Old Bullpen” mural was historically significant enough to qualify for CPA funding since it doesn’t appear on any state lists of historical sites or artifacts.
Painted by Maine artist Waldo Peirce in 1940, the piece was one of a slew of post office murals commissioned by the painting and sculpture section of the U.S. Treasury Department in the New Deal era. Peirce’s oil on canvas depicts the cattle and sheep pens that were part of life in the Foster Street neighborhood during the early 1800s.
Power said the city’s Historical Commission supported restoring the mural because they felt it had genuine historical value, and councilors ultimately agreed and unanimously approved the project.
Gerard McCarthy, executive director of Northeast Arc, says the plan is to restore the mural to its former glory and convert the lobby of the old Foster Street post office into an art gallery with “The Old Bullpen” as the centerpiece.
But Manning-Martin drew the line at old football films.
“Given the economy and the lack of funds I think it is incumbent upon us to watch every one of these allocations,” she said, adding that CPA money is one of the few sources of cash left for new municipal projects. “I’m very leery that a lot of projects will be put forward in this manner because it’s the only pot of money left.”
Manning-Martin was also concerned that spending $8,400 to preserve old football films would be fodder for those who oppose the CPA. Although she acknowledged preserving the films was a worthwhile project, she suggested the money should be raised through private donations and offered to write a check on the spot. She voted against the proposal in full council, as well, but only David Gravel sided with her.
Power said no other money was currently available, and time was running out.
The footage captures such Tanner gridiron greats as Ed Cronin, Class of 1932, who played behind the famous “Seven Blocks of Granite” offensive line that included Vince Lombardi, and John Bezemes, quarterback and kicker for the 1938 state championship team, who was drafted by professional baseball and football teams after college but went into the U.S. Navy and then played minor league baseball for two years. Among other things, he went on to coach Peabody baseball for 30 years.
The footage also features Harry Agganis playing for Lynn Classical against the Tanners. The football and baseball star went on to play for the Boston Red Sox and only suffered three losses in high school, two of them to Peabody and one in 1947.
“Thousands upon thousands of Peabody males have played football,” Power said. “This is a true record of Peabody sports life. It’s now or never for these films.”
At-large Councilor Edward Bettencourt agreed, adding that the film project fit the CPA’s overall mission of historic preservation.
“I believe this is preserving Peabody’s history,” he said. “Football has been a crucial part of the city’s cultural history, and I think it will be lost if we don’t do it now.”
Councilors asked Athletic Director Phil Sheridan to consider selling the DVDs to reimburse the CPA fund once the project is complete.
