Whither Kimball's Castle?
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Originally Posted by mcdude
(Post 223069)
Do google for Kimball's castle / Laconia Daily Sun and you'll find several articles including this one
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GILFORD — The owner of Kimball Castle has agreed to build a security fence around the condemned landmark, according to the town administrator.
Scott Dunn said he spoke with owner David Jodoin after last Wednesday's public forum and learned that his short-term plan is to move forward with the fence.
Last year, the town building inspector condemned the castle and ordered it to be either demolished or fenced in for public safety. Since then, the selectmen have agreed to three extensions of the "make safe" order. A final deadline has been set for April 30.
The town's role is that of trustee of the property which includes the building and about 280 acres of land on Lockes Mountain.
When Charlotte Kimball died she left it all in a trust for the express purpose of creating and maintaining a wildlife refuge and stipulated that it could not be used for commercial purposes. In 1990, the town carved out 20 acres and got the state Attorney General and a Belknap County judge to agree that the best way to maintain Kimball's wishes for a wildlife sanctuary was to sell a 20-acre portion of the land that included the castle to a private consortium with the proceeds of the sale to go into the Kimball Forest Wildlife Fund.
Jodoin is the principal owner of Kimball Properties LLC. He was the last remaining partner of a consortium of people who purchased the property in the 1990s with the intent of using the castle as a restaurant and a bed-and-breakfast.
Last year, Jodoin approached the selectmen for permission to change the contract by removing the restaurant stipulation and sell the property as a single-family residence.
Both Dunn and Selectmen's Chair John O'Brien have said Jodoin has a buyer waiting in the wings, but declined to identify him or her.
O'Brien said yesterday that right now he won't support changing Kimball Castle LLC.'s contract with the town.
"I'd like to see the fence get built or have the castle torn down and give it some time to see what various people can come up in terms of buying the property," he said.
"I'm not going to change the contract just so he can sell the property," O'Brien said.
Many of those who spoke at last week's forum also said they didn't support selling the property to a single land owner for another home. Most supported fencing in the castle and allowing it to decay on its own.
Virtually all agreed the castle itself was beyond repair.
Dunn said yesterday that should selectmen ever agree to change the restrictive covenants included in the current contract, the proposed changes would have to be approved the N.H. Attorney General, the N.H. Division of Charitable Trusts and the Belknap County Superior Court.
He said that Jodoin has assured him that by April 30 he will have built a fence or make a demonstrable effort to so. Failing that, he will be fined daily.
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This bequest reminds me of a similar Trust regarding a Key Biscayne, Florida beachfront. The Trust's bequest left a huge portion of their oceanfront land for the County to use as a public park. Lawyers got in there, and now there's the "Lipton Open". :rolleye1:
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"It had that postcard feeling I was hoping for, and then I saw those 5,000 parking spots by the beach, and I thought, 'This is it.' "
The rest, as they say, is history.
First, a $1 million, 10,000 square-foot clubhouse was built at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in 1989 with plans for a permanent stadium to follow. But there were obstacles. After a favorable court ruling involving the use of the land in July, 1992 cleared the way to begin construction, the bulldozers started humming in hopes of getting the stadium ready for the 1993 tournament.
On Feb. 13, 1994, as the tournament was celebrating its 10th event, Miami-Dade County dedicated the $20 million permanent stadium to the citizens of Miami-Dade County. With more than $13.0 million in prize money, equally distributed to the men and women..."
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So, whither Kimball Castle? :confused:
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