ROCKLAND —Bob Liberty, owner of Trade Winds Motor Inn, is asking Rockland to sell him 221 square feet of land in order to be clear with the city about ownership of that small property that he originally thought he had purchased from Rockland in 2006.

The Rockland City Council discussed this May 6 at its agenda setting meeting at Rockland City Hall and agreed to put the matter on their May 13 meeting.

The discrepancy apparently results from the fact that at the time Liberty sold to the city, he sold the city too much of the property and wanted to buy some of it back. Liberty originally sold the parcel of land in question to the city Oct. 10, 1980. The land is at the corner Park and Main streets and now known as Winslow-Holbrook Park. The city paid Liberty $25,000 for the parcel.

Liberty said in a letter to the city that he had thought he had sold only the now improved area and that he had retained ownership of the parking area east of the park, which he designates for parking for those who are at the Trade Winds.

In April, the city surveyed the land since it was planning improvements already to the park. Liberty said he realized after the survey that he had only purchased 560 square feet when it should have been 780 square feet.

Liberty is now proposing to purchase the additional footage as the survey showed for $29 per square foot. City Manager Jeff Smith noted that the land amounted to roughly four additional feet and is marked by a curb dividing Liberty’s land from the park.

City Attorney Kevin Beal said that in reviewing the original sale, the city sold Liberty 10 feet [in actual linear-foot dimensions, the small parcel translates to 221 square feet]. Beal also said that the city cannot amend the original sale since Liberty agreed to purchase 10 feet and that was what the city sold him. The sale of an additional four feet would need to be put out to competitive bid if the council decided to sell the land.

Mayor Will Clayton clarified that the additional four feet would not infringe on the already improved portion of the park. Smith said the curb indicates what Liberty thought at the time was the correct amount of space.  

Beal said at the time of that sale it was also put out for competitive bid.

“The original sale was for 10 feet,” said Beal. “That’s what Liberty asked for. He agreed that was what he asked for and that’s what the city sold him. We simply cannot go back and add an additional four feet to the sale. It will have to go out for competitive bids.”

Libertynow is requesting that that the city allows him to purchase the additional four feet in width, which translates into approximately 221 square feet when the length is factored in at $29 per square foot, the original price paid in 2008.

The council will discuss and decide the matter at its regular Monday meeting.

In other business, the council will consider several liquor, entertainment and lodging permits; will consider an article regarding sidewalk encumberments, specifically to do with scaffolding left in front of buildings for extended periods of time; consideration of use of herbicides and pesticides on city-owned land; and consideration of several reconveyances of property held by the city.