City officials rejected an opportunity to buy a second waterfront property on Crystal Lake.
Offered at $1.9 million, 230 Lake Ave. - a 1921 stucco house sandwiched between city-owned property - was too expensive and too risky for the city to pursue, said aldermen who rejected the proposal last week.
"I do believe the city (would be) overpaying for the property," Alderman Lenny Gentile said.
Gentile is one of nine aldermen who voted against the plan, in a 13-9 vote with two absent.
The proposal is not off the table yet. A last-minute procedural move by Alderman George Mansfield, who changed his vote from yes to no, allows him to bring the matter up again for reconsideration, under board rules.
Alderman Ken Parker, another supporter of the plan, is confident his side will win over the remaining votes for the Crystal Lake property purchase.
"We have turned a lot of people around," he said.
"The proposal was modified to be reflective of concerns that were raised and we think that it is a better proposal."
The purchase of the Lake Avenue property has changed forms in the eight months since it first appeared before the board.
The most recent proposal would have authorized the city to purchase the property with Community Preservation funds, create easements for public access and resell the property at a lower price.
"This is an opportunity we should not pass up," said Mansfield, a Newton Centre alderman. "This is an opportunity for the city. The proposal is supported by the neighborhood. (But) it's not a project (just) for the neighborhood."
Some aldermen who opposed previous plans to purchase the property supported the last week's proposal because it would fund the home purchase entirely through Community Preservation money.
The original plan would have used $550,000 of bond money and $1.4 million of preservation money, whereas the most recent proposal would draw all money from Community Preservation.
The Community Preservation Fund was established in 2001 to fund projects typically forgotten under financially tough times such as affordable housing, preservation of open spaces and historic places and recreational facilities.
Alderman Sydra Schnipper said the purchase of the Lake Avenue property is exactly what the Community Preservation Fund is intended for.
"It's the opportunity to do things that we wouldn't do when we are trying to be fiscally conservative," Schnipper said.
Alderman Verne Vance and Carleton Merrill were absent for the vote. If they had both voted yes, and Mansfield had not changed his vote for procedural reasons, the measure would have had the necessary 16 votes to pass.
After Mansfield files a motion to reconsider the lakefront purchase, aldermen can discuss and vote on the item at any meeting of the full board.
Chrissie Long can be reached at clong@cnc.com.
