Village Protests Lightkeeper’s House Sale
By Sue Clark on Apr 7, 2008 in News 
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Updated April 9:
The Grand Manan Village Council listened to its residents and has decided to retain ownership of the Swallowtail Lightkeeper’s house and surrounding property. The vote to reopen the discussion on what to do with this heavily vandalized property was unanimous.Mayor Dennis Greene said he’s a firm believer in listening to the people, and statedit was apparent other councilpersons felt the same way. Resident and council candidate Theresa McFarland, who led the petition drive, said that if people had known there wasn’t enough in the budget to care for this house properly, perhaps people would have stepped up before this to help save it. The Council will be meeting with members in June to discuss what to do with the house and land. McFarland is organizing a cleanup committee and a preservation committee.
Grand Manan Residents Say Don’t Sell
The Grand Manan Village Council will be meeting to reconsider its decision to sell the Swallowtail Lighthouse Keeper’s Home after nearly 250 residents presented a petition urging against the sale. The sale of the home, used as a Bed and Breakfast, was planned due to ongoing vandalism concerns and the upkeep on the property. The home, built in 1858 and appraised for nearly $500,000 CAD, had engendered interest from an unidentified person in South Carolina. Repairs from the vandalism totaled more than $80,000 over the past few years.
“We Weren’t Consulted”
According to a story on the CBC News, resident Theresa McFarland, who will be running for a council position next month, the community was never consulted on the council’s decision to put the keeper’s house and surrounding property on the market.
“It’s our lighthouse. It’s our keeper’s house. It’s our public property. Why weren’t we asked?” Saving and restoring the keeper’s house is the best option for the community, she said.
Even though the terms of the sale would have required maintaining public access to the property, McFarland pointed out that the village would lose control of it, including the parking area and a trail that leads to the lighthouse. McFarland suggested that part of the Keeper’s house should be converted into a museum, and the other half could continue to be used as a rental facility.
Preservation Group To Pay Taxes?
If the Council reopens this issue to public discussion, McFarland indicated that there is strong support for starting a preservation group to examine the property’s future. This group would take on the responsibility for raising money for repairs, and also to pay the property taxes.
Property taxes? Does this mean the village pays property taxes on property it owns, or is that what they expect to get in the future from selling the house? Lighthouse News certainly hopes the village wouldn’t be charging property taxes on a (hopefully) non-profit group to maintain the house. We sincerely urge McFarland to rethink that part of her proposal. Although it may sweeten the deal to the Council, there is something inherently wrong about that aspect of it.
McFarland will be making her presentation to the Council at their meeting tonight, Monday, April 7.
Photo credit: Lighthouse at Evening by Sylvanfeather. Some rights reserved.
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