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	City Councilor Assails Mayor's Plan for Church By Jennifer Huberdeau North Adams Transcript [North Adams MA] January 27, 2007 http://www.thetranscript.com/headlines/ci_5099959 City Councilor Christopher J. Tremblay is blasting the mayor's plan to save the Notre Dame steeple, but so far, he's the only councilor making waves. Tremblay said Thursday night that he objects to any dealings with the Catholic Diocese of Springfield — including a option to purchase the Notre Dame du Sacre Coeur property on East Main Street. "I don't think it's a good move," he said. "I don't think it's responsible." He said money that would be used to buy the church, former school and rectory could be better used elsewhere. "The city has $510,000 to buy this property, but it can't buy backstops and lighting for the new athletic complex?" he asked. "The city has no money to upgrade its sewer line from Curran Highway to Adams to improve its economic base, but it has $510,000 to bail out the Catholic church?" Mayor John Barrett III, who announced the deal to sign an option to purchase the property on Tuesday, said he has the backing of all city councilors except Tremblay. "It's not uncommon for the city to undertake something like this," Barrett said Friday. "We're not in it to make money; we're in it to protect the Monument Square Historic District. Mr. Tremblay does not understand that running a sewer line to Adams does not cost $510,000. It would cost between $5 million and $10 million to do so." He said the city's intent is to rezone the church property and to sell off the buildings separately, while keeping permanent easements on the facades and steeple to ensure their longevity. He said developers have expressed interest in each one of the buildings — but all separately. Ideas for the buildings include an assisted living facility and condominiums. "The city is not in the real estate business and we should not be in the speculative real estate business," Tremblay countered. "If there are interested developers, why don't they buy it directly from the diocese? I'm sure the diocese could include riders in the contract to keep the easements." Other councilors said Friday that they wanted to explore the idea of buying and reselling the property. "I'm all for it," Councilor Alan L. Marden said. "There is a risk involved, but we're not buying the property; it's only an option. We can always back out. If it's a success, then we've saved a great piece of city history." He said the diocese had found that developers did not have an interest in the property when faced with buying the entire parcel. "We've already had some expression of interest in it," Marden said. "If we have the ability to sell at least two pieces, it's a good gamble." Councilor Richard J. Alcombright said the council, except for Tremblay, gave the mayor full support to go forward with the option. "If it comes to fruition and if we find developers, the council will find creative types of financing for it," Alcombright said. "We will find an alternative to taking the money from free cash. We do not want to expose city residents to a loss in free cash." He said he sees the mayor's plan as being proactive. "This is not a Catholic problem," he said. "This is a church problem. In the next 10 years, the city will be faced with the possibility of other churches facing similar problems." Alcombright sits on the finance committee for the Catholic Parishes of North Adams, which are in the process of determining the future of the St. Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Mercy and St. Anthony of Padua churches. "We need some proactive solutions," Alcombright said. "It is not the city's position to bail out the Catholic church. It is the city's position to be concerned with property use and historic preservation. It is something that begs for a lot bigger discussions. This is something we should be discussing as a community." Council President Gailanne M. Cariddi said the Notre Dame plan is "worth looking at." "If you do nothing, nothing will happen," she said. "It's not something you can say no to right away. Taking the option doesn't mean that everything is going to work out. There are some complex issues that need to fall into place." Tremblay said he also opposes the move because the Catholic church "used the city as a dumping ground for pedophiles." "For years, the Catholic diocese sent pedophiles to North Adams — priests that had been caught molesting children in more affluent communities," Tremblay said. "I believe they intentionally sent pedophile priests to the region because we were a mill town with more low-income residents." He said he knows at least three people in the city who have publicly acknowledged they were molested by a Catholic priest who was serving in a city church. He said the sale would be an insult to the survivors of the Catholic sexual-abuse scandal. "I don't think this is a good deal for anybody but the Catholic church," he said.
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