Residents question plan to appraise town easement for developer; article fails

Town Meeting voted down an article that would have authorized the Select Board to determine the value and potential use of a 20‑foot sewer easement located on town property at 381 Baldwinville Road.

Opponents raised concerns about wetlands, long‑term infrastructure impacts and whether the town should let a private developer use town property; supporters said the article only authorized an appraisal, not a sale.

The article was presented by the Select Board as a limited step: determine the value of a 20‑foot easement that would allow a private developer to connect to the town sewer. "We're just talking about assessment," Select Board member Mike Curry told town meeting, saying the board sought transparency and a better understanding of the property's saleability. "We're just talking about assessment."

Conservation staff said wetlands permitting had already been through state review. "They have a superseding order of conditions, which is wetlands permit issued by the state," Conservation Agent Jessica Case said, noting the developer's project had MassDEP conditions after local appeals. That fact drew additional questions from residents about how the town would manage possible wetland impacts and who would pay for any required mitigation or infrastructure upgrades.

Developer representatives said the developer would pay for any appraisal if the Select Board authorized it, and the Select Board said any decision to declare land surplus or sell an easement would require a future Town Meeting vote. Still, debate continued about whether a yes vote would be seen as tacit approval for the project.

A motion to "move the question" failed on the first attempt, the meeting resumed discussion, and the final voice vote on Article 7 was "No." The moderator declared Article 7 failed at 7:31 p.m.

Select Board members said the failure meant the board would not proceed, and that any future action would come back to the town for consideration.