Hubbardston panel grants one-year Chapter 61 exemption to Prentiss, orders certified notices for nonfilers

The Town of Hubbardston Chapter 61/Chapter Land Board voted to grant a Chapter 61 exemption to applicant Alan Prentiss for the current calendar year only and directed staff to send a formal letter warning that future eligibility will require compliance with town rules and Massachusetts law.

The move followed discussion of two Chapter 61 applications presented at the meeting: an application for Lehi Tatton and an application for Alan Prentiss. Board staff recommended partial approval for the Tatton application — excluding a house lot — and reported technical defects in the Prentiss application tied to parcel ownership and acreage calculations.

Why it matters: Chapter 61 (chapter land) status confers a property tax benefit for qualifying forest, agricultural or recreational land. The board’s decision affects eligibility and tax treatment for the parcels involved and sets a precedent for how the board will treat long-running exemptions that staff now regard as inconsistent with current ownership records.

Board discussion and findings Board staff told members that the Tatton application could be approved in part, with 47.75 acres accepted into chapter land after excluding…