Williston Observer

Maple Tree Place owner wants value reduced by $15 million

Sept. 24, 2009

By Greg Elias

Observer staff

The corporate owner of Maple Tree Place continues to dispute the tax value of Williston’s highest-priced property.

Inland Western filed an appeal earlier this month in Chittenden Superior Court. As of Monday, a hearing date had not been scheduled.

The appeal follows a decision last month by the Williston Board of Civil Authority to reject the company’s claim that the retail center is worth less than the town’s $80.9 million valuation.

Inland has argued that falling commercial property values should prompt a lower appraisal. An attorney for the company said during the Board of Civil Authority hearing that Maple Tree Place was worth $65 million.

But the board voted unanimously to deny Inland’s appeal, which could have reduced its annual tax bill by more than $200,000.

In its written ruling, the board said the town determined the value using the cost approach, which considers the quality of construction, the age and size of buildings and other factors.

That method of valuation is used with all commercial property in Williston. Town officials have noted that using another method for Maple Tree Place could prompt tax appeals from many companies in Williston.

“I don’t see how you can change it,” said Herb Goodrich, chairman of the Board of Civil Authority. “It’s what we do for the rest of the businesses.”

Bill Parks, Inland Western’s vice president for property management, did not return telephone messages. Robert Gensburg, the St. Johnsbury attorney who filed the court appeal for Inland, did not respond to phone and e-mail requests for comment.

Throughout the appeal process, which included a review by the Board of Listers and the Board of Civil Authority hearing, Inland has argued that the slumping real estate market and numerous vacancies make the property worth much less than the town’s appraised value.

That claim was greeted with skepticism from some Board of Civil Authority members, who noted that Inland paid $102.3 million when it bought Maple Tree Place in 2005. Inland’s attorney argued that the number is no longer relevant because the recession has driven down prices for commercial real estate.

Goodrich said the purchase price is an inescapable fact sure to be raised during the court hearing.

Maple Tree Place is by far the highest-valued property in Williston. IBM’s facility on Redmond Road is the next most expensive property, with an appraised value of $31.6 million.

Inland Western is a real estate investment trust affiliated with Illinois-based Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, which owns one of the nation’s largest portfolios of commercial real estate.

Absent a successful appeal, Inland Western will pay $1.3 million in local property taxes during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. If the appraisal was reduced to $65 million, the company’s tax bill would fall by about $241,000.

A devaluation would have a relatively minor impact on Williston’s $7.6 million municipal budget. Town Manager Rick McGuire said it would reduce revenue by about $30,000.

A ruling in Inland’s favor would have no effect on local school funding or education taxes, said Bob Mason, chief operations officer with the Chittenden South Supervisory Union.

Property taxes earmarked for education go into a statewide fund, then are disbursed using a complex formula, Mason said. Any revenue reduction would therefore be spread out among all school districts in Vermont.

[Read more...]

Four hurt, one dies from injuries sustained in crash

Sept. 24, 2009

By Tim Simard

Observer staff

Rescue personnel found a frightening scene at Tim’s Snack Shack Thursday afternoon, after a pickup truck plowed into the roadside eatery and a nearby picnic table, injuring five people.

One of the victims passed away Tuesday afternoon.

The accident occurred around 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, toward the tail end of the lunch rush at Tim’s Snack Shack, said Williston Police Sgt. Scott Graham. According to Graham’s preliminary report, the driver who caused the accident appeared to have suffered a “medical emergency.”

Police are investigating the accident and declined to say if the driver would face charges.

Rescue personnel, along with Williston police officers and 10 firefighters, arrived at Tim’s Snack Shack minutes after receiving the emergency call. Williston Fire Chief Ken Morton said the department considered it a mass casualty incident. The snack shack is located at the junction of U.S. 2 and Industrial Avenue.

According to Snack Shack owner Tim Leggett, two customers had just finished picking up their orders and were on their way to sit at one of the picnic tables when he noticed a truck “out of control.” A white Ford F-150 pickup truck jumped a curb and headed straight for the eatery. Leggett said he shouted to his two employees to get out of the shack and tried to warn his customers, but it was too late.

Graham said the truck smashed into the back of a parked car before hitting the northeast corner of the shack, knocking the small building 4 feet back from its original location. The truck then hit the two customers head on at the picnic table before coming to rest behind the shack on a steep embankment.

Brian Marcelino, 52, of Colchester and Barbara Gregory, 68, of Shelburne were the customers struck. Graham would not go into detail on the victim’s injuries, only saying they were possibly life threatening.

Marcelino and Gregory were transported to Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington soon after the accident.

Gregory later died after succumbing to her injuries.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson with the hospital said Marcelino remained a patient in recovery.

Also injured was Tim’s Snack Shack employee Jason Goddard, who was hurt while escaping the eatery. Leggett hurt his ankle in the accident, as well. Goddard was transported to Fletcher Allen, but was eventually released, police said. Leggett, who walked with a noticeable limp and a bandaged ankle Thursday afternoon, declined transportation to the hospital.

The driver of the pickup truck, Timothy Hill, allegedly told police he had been working at a construction site in South Burlington earlier in the day. Graham said Hill told police he was hit accidently in the head by a shovel and, not feeling well, decided to head home.

While heading east on Williston Road, Hill said he began to feel dizzy and tried to pull off the road, according to Graham. But Hill didn’t make it and does not remember the accident, Graham said.

“Witnesses told me it looked like the driver was unconscious,” Graham said.

Hill was also transported by ambulance to Fletcher Allen and was later released, according to police. Police said Hill tested negative after the accident for drugs and alcohol.

A company logo on the side of the pickup truck said it belonged to Environmental Products & Services of Vermont Inc., located on Commerce Avenue in Williston. The company handles environmentally related spills and waste cleanup projects, with locations throughout the East Coast.

A woman who answered the phone at Environmental Products & Services on Tuesday would neither comment on the accident nor confirm if Hill worked for the company.

Leggett said the accident has closed Tim’s Snack Shack for the year. Leggett added the eatery typically closes toward the end of October. He said the building was a total loss.

The inside of the shack appeared disheveled Thursday afternoon, with debris scattered in every direction. Leggett said the big equipment, such as the Fryolators and grill, would need to be replaced. While he vowed to return next season, Leggett said he was most concerned for his friends who’d been injured.

“I’m feeling terrible for people in the parking lot,” Leggett said on Thursday, adding he planned to visit them in the hospital later in the day.

[Read more...]

[Read more...]

Supple and Martin sharp in victory

Sept. 17, 2009

In mid-July, the Killington Saints ensured that the Williston Armadillos, then 10-0, would not see a perfect season by handing the Dillos their first loss of the season by the score of 7-6. On Sunday, the second-seeded Armadillos, who ended the regular season with a 13-3 record, exacted revenge on the seventh-seeded Saints with a 16-1 win.

With the victory, Williston moves into the semifinals of the single elimination Vermont Senior Baseball League state championship tournament. The Dillos will face Newport Columbia, which was 8-8 during the regular season but pulled off a 16-4 upset of third-seeded Colchester on Sunday.

In the first game of the season, the Dillos had to come from behind to defeat Newport 8-5.

“They’re a solid team, with good hitting. We had our hands full the first time we played them and I expect the same this time,” player manager Dennis Johnson said about the upcoming game.

The Dillos were on their offensive game on Sunday, collecting 21 hits and five walks, as all but one of the 13 players hit safely. The outcome of the game seemed determined early as the Dillos scored in each of the first four innings to take a 12-1 lead.

The offense was led by shortstop Greg Bolger (3-5, 2 runs), center fielder Ray Danis (2-2, 2B, RBI), Dann “DVDV” Van der Vliet (2-3, HBP, 2 RBIs), left fielder Reid Crosby (2-4, 2 runs), third baseman Pookie Martin (2-4, BB, 3 RBIs), second baseman Brent Tremblay (2-4, 2 RBIs), catcher Tom “Bambino” Fitzgerald (2-4, RBI) and Jess Stein (2-4, 2 runs).

As the Dillos’ pitching opponent said after the game, it “didn’t matter what we threw today. You guys even hit the bad pitches safely.”

On the mound, Armadillo ace Bill Supple threw the first six innings to get the win, giving up one run on eight hits, while walking none and striking out three. Martin pitched the last three innings, continuing to demonstrate his prowess in relief by giving up just one hit and two walks, while striking out three.

The Saints demonstrated jitters in the first two innings and the Dillos were quick to capitalize. Williston scored two in the first as Crosby walked, Supple reached on an error and each scored respectively on singles by Martin and Danis.

The Dillos racked up six more runs in the second. Right fielder Darby Crum (1-3, 2B, 2 runs) reached on another Saints error, Stein singled and Johnson (1-2, 3B, sac, BB, RBI) sacrifice bunted, advancing Crum to third. After Crum scored on DVDV’s single, Stein and Johnson scored on successive fielder’s choices. Bolger singled and Martin walked to load the bases and Tremblay plated the two lead runners with a single.

After the Saints scored a run in the third on a double and a single, two more Dillos scored in the bottom of that frame. Danis doubled and scored on the Bambino’s single. Although Crum hit into a double play, Stein singled and Johnson brought him home with triple.

Williston piled on two more runs in the fourth when Crosby and Bolger singled and Martin plated both with a double.

Meanwhile, Supple was showing clutch pitching on the mound. Following three straight singles to load the bases in the fifth, Supple buckled down. He induced the next batter to ground to Tremblay at third, who gunned the runner down at home. The following batter flied out to short right, and the last batter of the inning hit into a 6-4 fielder’s choice.

The lead grew to 15-1 in the sixth inning as left fielder Bill “Vegas” Daw (1-2, 2 BB, run) and Crosby singled and Supple brought both home with a double. Bolger then collected his third straight single to plate Supple.

The Dillos closed out the scoring in the seventh when Crum doubled and scored on DVDV’s single.

The semifinal game will be played at Williston Central School at noon on Sept. 20.

League standings and individual and team statistics are online at www.scorebook.com. Enter “Vermont Senior Baseball League” under league name search.

[Read more...]

Sept. 17, 2009

It had been more than a week since their season-opening, 6-0 blowout of Mount Abraham Union High in Bristol when the Champlain Valley Union High boys soccer team took to the home field Wednesday afternoon against Harwood Union High.

The game was scheduled for after press deadline.

Only game time would tell if the layoff helped coach T.J. Mead apply some fine tuning, or whether some rustiness had crept in.

Two more home games follow, with Missisquoi Valley Union in Hinesburg on Friday for a 4:30 p.m. contest and South Burlington High coming in Tuesday to resume their friendly rivalry in another 4:30 p.m. start.

— Mal Boright, Observer correspondent

[Read more...]