Earlier this year, the Board of Selectmen reviewed and proposed a lease agreement with the New England Prayer Center run by Dan and Gina Blaze, and referred the lease to a Town Meeting for approval. The lease was on the agenda for last Monday’s annual Town Meeting, and will be voted on in the May 7 referendum.
There is a long and involved history to the South Park Avenue property where the New England Prayer Center is located. Many efforts have been made in recent years to resolve the issues surrounding it.
The New England Prayer Center has occupied the property continuously for many years. Their formal lease expired in 2014 but they remained as tenants. We believe that having a signed, up-to-date lease is the best practice and in the town’s and the Blazes’ best interest. It’s a potential liability to allow them to continue to occupy the property without a current lease agreement.
As you know, the town sold 19 acres of the South Park Avenue property to the Aspetuck Land Trust and placed a conservation restriction on the remaining town-owned 10 acres in 2022. Both of those actions were approved by voters. The conservation restriction included a provision that allows for the New England Prayer Center to remain where it is and forbids nearly all other uses of the building.
The town’s goal in negotiating the lease was to remove any maintenance, and therefore financial, obligation from the town and to collect a reasonable rent while allowing the Blazes to continue operating the prayer center in the same location and capacity as they have for many years. This lease achieves those goals.
We have heard from many people in town who utilize and rely on the services provided by the New England Prayer Center. We also know that Gina and Dan have been good tenants and neighbors for many years.
We strongly believe the town should approve this lease. It protects the town from any obligation to maintain the house and property. Maintenance is the responsibility of the tenant, which is not typical in the landlord/tenant relationship. The lease also outlines a clear rent payment schedule, which provides revenue to the town.
This lease simply formalizes the situation which currently exists today, but it adds protections for the town that are not currently in place. We believe it is the best path forward and urge you to support it as well.
The Easton Board of Selectmen:
David Bindelglass, Kristi Sogofsky, Nicholas D’Addario
Source link
