Barre Select Board Approves Sale of Long-Stalled Tax-Title Property for $81,000

BARRE — October 21, 2025 — Barre Select Board unanimously approves $81,000 sale of tax-title property at 1000 West Street. The board voted October 21 to transfer the property — on the market since roughly May with a single offer received — to Patricia R. Cokie and John J. Cokie Sr. of Winchendon, satisfying a tax-title account balance of $75,419.67 and netting the town an estimated $62,000 to $69,000 after closing costs borne by the buyer. Town Administrator Melanie noted that tax-title attorney Ron Berenson advised against the town paying closing costs to avoid setting a precedent for future foreclosed-property sales. The prospective end user, a local tree service operator, told the board he plans to clean up the site and seek a rezoning from R80 to commercial through the Planning Board, with two abutting parcels already commercially zoned. The board also received news that DPW crews had repaired a water main leak running at an estimated 100 gallons per minute — roughly 140,000 gallons per day — with pumps that previously ran 24-7 now cycling off for rest periods of 12 hours.