Commission reviews amendment to easement behind Channel 10 property to regain town control within 90 days’ notice

The commission discussed a first amendment to an easement affecting a vacant parcel behind the Channel 10 site. Town counsel said title work found an easement, entered in 2020, that allowed a developer to occupy town property and stage equipment there. The amendment before the commission would allow the town to require the developer to vacate the property upon 90 days’ notice and to return the lot in a usable condition.

The town attorney told commissioners that the easement had conditions tied to certificates of occupancy and that the amendment grew out of conversations between the manager and the developer. Commissioner Hodgkins said the lot had been “very unsightly” but that some cleanup had occurred; the code department will ask the developer to place a temporary fence on the street side to screen stored equipment.

Commissioners moved the item to the consent agenda. The manager and town attorney said any improvements the developer made that benefited the town would remain; the amendment would allow the town to reclaim its property quickly if needed. No final execution of the amendment was recorded at the workshop; the commission recommended placing the item on consent for formal action at the next regular meeting.