Foreclosure Waived By Warren Residents

November 12th, 2007

In one voice the residents of Warren voted in favour of waiving a foreclosure on rifle range property on Route 90, the owners being Richard and Kathleen Dunican. The Dunicans owe more than $16,000 to Warren town starting from 1999. But because of environmental related problems on the property the town has decided to waive foreclosure. This is the sixth year in succession that it has done so.

The Dunicans had used 200,000 yards of plastic fibre material on the property to stifle the noise of the rifle range. To do this tractor-trailers working for seven days in a week had to work for more than six months. It was no easy task to transport 200,000 yards of the material to the site. The Town Manager of Warren, Grant Watmough acknowledged this fact. It was as per the development plan of the property. A sound buffer zone for the range was thus created. 100 yards had to be buried at one time.

But financial problems arose. The Dunicans could no longer develop the property. The fibre was left exposed to the elements on the site. Although it was not threatening the water table of the area it is an undeniable fact that it is an eye sore apart from being a potential fire hazard.

The cost of cleaning the property is far in excess of the market value of the unit. Attorney Paul Gibbons representing Warren in this legal tussle posed the querie as to who is supposed to be responsible for clean-up operations. He attended the town meeting to explain why it would be to the best interests of all to waive foreclosure. He explained that because of certain court ruling the Dunicans would soon acquire funds necessary for the cleaning up. But until further legal steps are taken that cannot be said for a certainty.

The Town Manager is optimistic that it is going to get done although the same sentiments have been expressed before. The expectation is that the Department of Environmental Protection and the Attorney General’s Office will soon find a way out. It is their job to do so since they are at the helm of matters. It is they who have taken recourse to the law. They should now come forward and get the matter settled. Considering expenses the stuff most probably would be buried and not carted away.

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