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Lakeville open-space committee flags assessor records, missing conservation restrictions and readies cross‑check of Chapter 61 list
Summary
Open Space Committee found assessor export lacked consistent marks for perpetual conservation restrictions and will cross-reference the town's Chapter 61 and 5‑acre lists; committee expects updated Chapter 61 list mid‑February and will follow up with assessors and town administrator.
The Town of Lakeville Open Space Committee on Jan. 2 identified gaps and inconsistencies in the assessor’s property data used to compile the committee’s lists of protected land, conservation restrictions (CRs) and Chapter 61 parcels.
Committee members said the electronic file provided from the assessor’s map did not reliably show which parcels have conservation restrictions or agricultural preservation restrictions (APRs). Several committee members said large, protected properties that they know hold perpetual CRs or APRs do not appear as protected in the assessor‑derived list the committee received that day.
The committee decided to cross‑reference the assessor’s Chapter 61 export, a town 5‑acre plus parcel list prepared for outreach, and the committee’s own parcel inventory. Members expect the assessor’s office to provide an updated Chapter 61 list in mid‑February and planned to wait for that download to do a computerized lookup/crossmatch rather than a manual comparison.
Committee members asked staff to pursue missing CR and APR records with the assessor and the town administrator and to identify where CRs are recorded (electronic database vs. paper files). The Town Administrator has been asked to help secure clearer data. Committee members noted that accurate flags in the assessor records are essential if the committee later plans to contact landowners about outreach or protection options — outreach could be misleading if a parcel already has a CR but the assessor record does not show it.
The committee also discussed using the over‑5‑acre parcel list for possible outreach to landowners but agreed to set outreach criteria at a future meeting after they complete the cross‑referencing and confirm CR status. Members emphasized that any public outreach should not wrongly identify protected parcels as unprotected and that the committee will attempt to assemble a consolidated inventory of town‑owned, state‑owned, Chapter 61, CR and APR parcels.
Committee members said the new Chapter 61 export required by Dec. 1 will be released mid‑February and that the committee will compare the new file against its maps to identify properties that have dropped off or newly appeared on the Chapter 61 list. The committee plans monthly tracking of updates and will include known conservation holders (for example, Wildlands Trust) in the inventory when ownership data is verifiable.
Members flagged the lack of a single, searchable repository for CRs and APRs as a record‑keeping gap the town should address so open‑space planning and outreach can proceed reliably.
