Mayor Michael Ferguson wants Fredonia to sell some unused land it owns on Glasgow Road in the town of Pomfret, near Cassadaga.

“We have 40 acres of land in Cassadaga that we’re paying taxes on and doing virtually nothing with it,” Ferguson said to open discussion on the idea at a Board of Trustees workshop Wednesday.

“It was a help for us when we had to get water from Cassadaga Lake, but we’re not allowed to do that anymore,” said Ferguson, referring to incidents in the 1990s where Fredonia drew water from the lake to replenish a drought-stricken reservoir. The federal government subsequently tightened regulations against municipalities getting water from outside watersheds. Fredonia is in the Great Lakes watershed but Cassadaga Lake is in the Mississippi River watershed.

“With that, I’m wondering if we can’t sell that property, recoup some of that money,” Ferguson continued. “(Department of Public Works head) Scott (Marsh), unless you think there’s a purpose for us to hang on to those 40 acres, it really doesn’t make much sense for the village to be owning 40 acres of unused land, when we have a deficit in our budget.”

According to Chautauqua County’s online parcel history viewer, the village actually owns about 43 acres next to Glasgow Road. The southern end of the parcel borders the north shore of the upper lake at Cassadaga Lake.

The village initially filed a deed for the property in 1932, according to the viewer. No information was available about Fredonia’s tax payments on the property.

The parcel is largely wetlands. “You’re not going to get much for it,” Trustee Michelle Twichell cautioned.

“You’re not going to get much — but we’re paying for it. It’s kind of silly,” Ferguson responded.

Trustee Ben Brauchler said he would be interested in donating the property to a conservancy. Trustee Nicole Siracuse said the village should look into getting tax credits for preserving the wetlands.

Ferguson said a lumber company representative told him there was nothing on the property that the company would be interested in harvesting.

The mayor said he would inform Pomfret Town Supervisor Dan Pacos that Fredonia is considering a sale of the property.