Public Hearing Slated On Acquisition Of Enfield Town Hall Neighbor

ENFIELD, CT — A public hearing has been scheduled by the Enfield Town Council in connection with the proposed purchase of a freestanding commercial building adjacent to town hall. The hearing will commence at 6:55 p.m. on Monday, May 15 in the Council Chambers.

The 3,376 square-foot brick veneer building at 810 Enfield Street, constructed in 1935, has been owned by Robert and Cheryl Alaimo since 2008, according to town property records. It has mainly been utilized as a real estate office, most recently Coldwell Banker, which has moved to 1 Mountain Road in Suffield.

At its April 17 meeting, the council passed a resolution, by a 10-1 vote, to "authorize the Town Manager to sign a purchase agreement to obtain this property pending approval of the Town Attorney." A total of $400,000 is being allocated for the acquisition.

Assistant Town Manager Steve Bielenda told the council the building, situated between town hall and the Enfield Express building at 800 Enfield Street, would be the likely new home for the North Central Connecticut Probate District, which is currently housed on the second floor of town hall.

According to the April 17 meeting minutes, Bielenda said, "It would be more conducive to move the probate court into that building, allowing more space to expand the top floor because it is jam packed up there right now. It is a stand alone building and folks will be able to drive right up, and they won’t have to have meetings in the hallways with sensitive probate issues."

In casting the lone dissenting vote, Councilor Nick Hopkins "stated that he thinks that this is a poor use of money. He is concerned that we will have to allocate additional money for the property. He wished the state would allocate more money for probate courts," according to the minutes.