Wiscasset selectmen, acting as assessors Tuesday, denied 2008 abatements by a 2-2 vote for four Young’s Point properties which have more than doubled in value.
Chairman David Nichols, Jr. abstained from voting after Atty. Edward Dardis, representing the property owners, advised him to recuse himself from that portion of the proceedings to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, since Nichols owns property on Young’s Point.
Assessor’s agent Sue Varney recommended abating the land value to the proposed 2008 value at 125 percent, which selectmen Phil DiVece and selectmen Nicole Viele favored.
Nichols indicated his strong disagreement despite Dardis’ efforts to silence him. He said, “If you do it for one you have to do it for all.”
Nichols added the third property (which is actually two parcels), owned by Stanley and Susannah Haney of Holden, Mass. was assessed at $525,000 and recently sold for $520,000.
“It shows the board was not far off,” he said.
Richard and Marsha Gray of Westport Island, who are building a home on Young’s Point, and Kevin Applebee of Urbana, Ill., the owner of a cottage on property adjacent to Gray’s, and Samuel and Kayda Selby of Fort Myers, Fla. own the other three pieces of property in question.
“The assessments have more than doubled,” Dardis said. “What we’re asking is to reduce them to what they were.”
Dardis said the properties were similar enough and adjacent enough that they should be considered for the same recommended abatement.
“All the properties are the same,” Dardis said. “Some have deepwater frontage and others don’t and some have tidal water frontage. You have to take into consideration the condition of the property.” He reminded the board it must assess them at a fair and just market value.
Nichols disagreed and said no properties there have deepwater frontage, but rather all have tidal water frontage. “Get your facts straight,” he said.
In September 2008, Nichols made a proposal to remove certain factoring from his Young’s Point neighborhood with the argument it would the make values fairer; making some go down and others up. The board voted 3-1 to accept his motion, which he said would not include his property.
In so doing, the board increased the value of properties affected by $483,400.
At that time, DiVece said the matter should be looked at for next year and not changed at the last minute for the upcoming tax cycle.
Both DiVece and Viele expressed their beliefs after the session, that the property owners could well win an appeal expected before the county commissioners’ later this year.
For the property of Dongwone Park of Overland, Kan. on Young’s Point, the board agreed to an abatement of 65 percent of the proposed 2008 land value.
Among other notable changes Tuesday, the board voted unanimously to consider the Wiscasset Yacht Club exempt from taxes, since it now has 501(c)(3) non-profit status.
Chet Clark, representing the club as past treasurer, said the club has been assessed at $483,700. The 2008 tax bill is $6578 compared to $5500 for 2007 and $3500 for 2006.
Selectman DiVece suggested the club, in exchange for a tax-exempt status, could allow the town to park in its lot when not in use, since the town lacks adequate parking space in the downtown. DiVece also asked if the club could consider a voluntary pilot program of payments to the town in place of taxes.
The board also followed the assessor’s agent recommendation to abate the restaurant property of former selectman Bill Barnes on Rt. 1 by $60,000, since he no longer rents the upstairs over the restaurant. It is used as an attic prep area for the restaurant, Varney said.
Barnes’ abatement amounts to an $816 reduction in taxes.