Newton, MA - Hannon Says House Sale by Religious Group is Held

Newton, MA - An offer to buy the most controversial plot of privately owned land in Newton is still on the table, said the property’s owner, Pat Hannon.     

But the alleged multimillion-dollar offer from a buyer with plans to build a summer camp on Hannon’s land at Crystal Lake is being held up by the latest legal battle over the lake.
Hannon is seeking an injunction against the city in Middlesex County Superior Court that would prevent him from having to repair a stone wall on his property adjacent to the municipal swimming area, and at the same time compel the city to remove or replace a wooden retaining wall of its own at the Gil Bathhouse.

The city contends Hannon’s stone wall is falling down and a safety hazard. Hannon said contaminants in the pressure-treated wood in the city’s wall could poison the lake.  
A ruling for the city could cause the prospective buyer of the property, identified by Hannon only as a "religious group," to rethink its offer, he said, as they value the property for its unfettered access and control of the beach.
The suit, which Hannon said could be heard as early as Friday, is the latest in a series of actions he has taken against the city for its operation of the public bathing area at Crystal Lake. It was transferred from Massachusetts Land Court to Superior Court by a judge earlier in August.

Reports said the initial offer was around $8.5 million.