The City Council learned last night that Putnam Park, an empty lot transformed into a community park and natural classroom for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Open School, was sold on March 5.

Owner Richard Valente sold the 8,495-square foot property for over $800,000, or approximately $100 per foot, although the exact price is unknown.

The buyer of the property has not been made public, but real estate brokers said the new owner would develop the property into residential buildings, according to City Manager Robert W. Healy. Under current zoning, they could build up to seven town houses on the site.

One neighbor said the sale has dismayed residents and schoolchildren who have spent recent years converting what was once an empty lot into a garden and science laboratory. Children from the King's Open School are currently growing orchids in the park as part of a national science experiment.

"The neighborhood is still interested in establishing Putnam as a private park," Michael H. Isenberg said. Isenberg is a neighbor of Putnam who first brought the park's fate to the council's attention last fall.

The council, while disappointed that the property had been sold for an amount of money beyond the city's means, was also unwilling to kiss it goodbye. They decided to write a letter to the buyer explaining the unique nature of the property in hopes that the plans might be reconsidered.

"We're not willing to say no to Putnam Park this evening," Councillor Kathleen L. Born said.