NORTH MANCHESTER - After hearing from one of the owners of the Daehnfeldt Building Tuesday night, the North Manchester Town Council reconsidered the revocation of a tax abatement from earlier this year.

At the February meeting, the town council decided not to renew the tax abatement for a building owned by J&B Properties. Tuesday evening, William Roebel addressed the board and explained the status of the building now.

Roebel's company build the structure in 1999 for Joe Messer, and entered into a lease agreement that was supposed to lead to the sale of the building. However, the company that originally occupied the building was bought out by Secada Seed Corp. in 2003. The new company moved operations to California, leaving the building empty.

According to Roebel, J&B Properties has made "every effort to lease the building," but to date the efforts have been unsuccessful. Rabel said the abatement is a selling point for the building, and he hopes the abatement will help bring a new business to North Manchester.

The council originally denied the renewal of the abatement because the employment requirements built into the original statute were not met. After much discussion, the council reviewed the wording of the abatement agreement and decided to give the company one more year to get the building sold or occupied.

"Let's give it a year and see if it helps," said council member Chris Garber. "If we review it every year, there will be a chance to re-evaluate it next year."

"It is such a nice building," said Roebel. "It would be good for the community to have someone in it."

The council then approved the closing of several streets from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 23 for the Tulip Festival at Peabody Retirement Community. Maple Street from Sixth Street to Ninth Street, Sixth Street from Buffalo Street to Seventh Street and Ninth Street from Maple Street to Beckley Street will be closed to accommodate tram, horse and carriage and pedestrian traffic for the event.

"Basically we are asking to close the streets on the perimeter of Peabody for safety reasons," said Peabody representative Tracy Irwin.

A tram will carry people from Manchester High School and Manchester Junior High to the Peabody campus. The tram will also take passengers to the downtown area. Horse and carriage rides will be available for those interested.

The council also allotted $5,000 from the Cumulative Capital Development Fund to the Park and Recreation Board for use in making a master plan for new projects. An engineering firm will be hired to design plans for a fitness center, community trails and other projects in the community. The plans will be used to help budget funds for the projects in the future. For example, the firm would estimate the costs to add a fitness center to the community pool. The firm also would update cost estimates for the community trail first discussed in 1999.

In other business, the council:

• Approved the first reading of a special zoning ordinance and a general zoning ordinance creating a professional office district. The general ordinance outlines uses, development standards and buffer areas required for a property to be zoned professional office. The special ordinance changes the map of General Ordinance No. 4, 1995, including an unincorporated one-mile area that now borders the corporate limits of the town.

• Heard that Brian Wagner passed the National Recreation and Parks Playground Safety Inspectors course. Wagner scored an 89 out of 100 on the test. He will begin auditing the playground structures in town to determine what improvements are needed.

• Approved an ordinance that puts all fees collected from furnishing Local Criminal History Reports into the Law Enforcement Education Fund. The town recently started charging for the service, and the ordinance directs the town on where to put the funds.

• Approved a proposal to add a rental property owned by the town to the demolition contract for the Seiler property. The person renting the property is in the process of moving out and the building needs extensive repairs. Eventually the town plans to use the property to expand the sewer plant.

• Heard spring cleanup day is April 25. Items for pickup may be put out up to 10 days before that date. John Mugford, superintendent of public works, said it will take town employees about a week to pick up the waste.

• Heard hydrant flushing will begin April 18.

Town council members are Chris Garber, Diana Haupert, Don Rinearson, Stan Escott and Laura Rager. Town manager is Dan Hannaford, secretary-treasurer is Nancy Reed and town attorney is Charles Tiede. [[In-content Ad]]