Borough Council seeks public input at Dec. 11 meeting
By David Kilby, Special Writer
ALLENTOWN — Borough officials are asking the public for feedback at the next Borough Council meeting on whether they should sell Conine’s Millpond, commonly known as Allentown Lake, to the state.
The council introduced an ordinance Nov. 28 authorizing the borough to proceed with the sale if a contract can be negotiated with the state. The public hearing on the ordinance is set for 7:30 p.m., Tuesday (Dec. 11) at Borough Hall.
Mayor Stuart Fierstein said the council did not intend to vote on the ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting and, for now, only wanted to hear what people had to say.
The proposed ordinance states the Department of Environmental Protection has an interest in purchasing the millpond for Green Acres purposes as well as recreational and open space purposes. The approximate value and purchase price for the millpond would be $209,300, the ordinance says.
State law allows a municipality to sell real estate to another governmental agency, provided the sale is authorized by ordinance.
The purpose of the sale is not addressed in the ordinance beyond the statement that the borough believes it is in the best interest of the citizens of Allentown to sell the property “to enhance and protect their safety, health and welfare.”
Mayor Fierstein declined comment when asked if the borough was seeking to transfer ownership of the lake to the state in order to relieve local taxpayers of the financial burden of having to maintain it, along with the dam at the Old Mill.
”We have introduced the first reading of the ordinance so we can explore the transition of that property,” Mayor Fierstein said.
Councilwoman Audrey Mount, contacted after the meeting, said she wanted to hear what residents think about the idea.
”I am in favor of moving it to a second hearing and hearing what the public has to say on the issue,” Councilwoman Mount said.
A spokesman for the DEP, Larry Ragonese, said he had no information about the possible state purchase of Conine’s Millpond.
”If we had an interest in the property, it would have to be from an open space perspective,” Mr. Ragonese said. “If they come to us and are offering a property, and we have an interest in it for some open space preservation that makes sense, we would consider it.”
Every property offered for sale to the state is evaluated based on its merits, including what makes it environmentally important, or unique, and worthy of state preservation, Mr. Ragonese said.
”If there’s some way that we can help in protecting or preserving a local parcel or lake that might have important preservation value to the state or to the town or county involved, then we would consider that,” Mr. Ragonese said.