METHUEN — A City Council vote to buy the historic Searles Estate for $3.25 million failed Monday night, drawing angst from some city officials.
The proposed purchase of the 74-room mansion and 19 of 25 acres received just four of the five votes needed for approval.
Of the nine councilors, Joyce Campagnone and Jana Zanni-Pesce were not present at the meeting and D.J. Beauregard abstained, citing a conflict of interest. Chair Joel Faretra, Nicholas DiZoglio, Ronald Marsan and Allison Mary Saffie voted in favor while Neily Soto and Patricia Valley were opposed.
Mayor Neil Perry called the decision “outrageous.”
To preserve an iconic piece of history, the city announced the planned purchase of the Lawrence Street property last month.
The Searles Estate, owned by Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, is assessed by the city at $10 million. The estate was built by wealthy interior designer Edward F. Searles between 1880 and his death in 1920.
Faretra said a resolution to approve the sale needed five votes and that after discussing the issue with the city’s legal counsel, a second opinion will be sought as well as other legal solutions.
While some councilors were concerned about the project’s cost and what they called a lack of a comprehensive plan on what to do with the estate, they also talked about the importance of the site to the city.
DiZoglio said he was reminded of the estate’s “awe”.
The aging mansion would have cost the city about $250,000 in annual upkeep, according to Chief Administrative & Financial Officer Maggie Duprey. She said the city intended to pay for the upkeep through a new revenue source for the estate.
Before the vote, city Director of Economic and Community Development John Wilson was optimistic.
“This is actually one of those things I get really excited about,” he said. “It was perilously close to being lost to a private developer.”
After the vote, community members offered their condolences to Wilson.