John Bullion, chair of the Board of Assessors, opened the Nov. 20 meeting and said the board will appear before the Select Board for a classification hearing next week. Julie, a staff member who presented the department’s analysis, told the board that roughly 88.1% of Needham’s assessed valuation this cycle is residential and that the town has recorded open-space classification for the first time after a recent sale.

Julie provided a class-by-class breakdown, saying open space accounts for about 0.012% of valuation, commercial roughly 8.26%, industrial about 1.03% and personal property about 2.6%. She cautioned that some figures are rounded and that she would supply exact decimal figures and supporting tables at the upcoming classification hearing.

The staff presentation also flagged new-growth figures: residential new growth was substantial (Julie reported approximately $293,750,602 in residential new-growth valuation), while commercial new growth was minimal by comparison (about $64,600). Julie and board members attributed part of the disparity to a shorter inspection and capture window, heavy staff workloads and a year of numerous abatements that limited the department’s ability to record commercial completions in fiscal 2025.

Board members asked for clarifications about particular parcels and special classifications. Julie confirmed that certain parcels cited in the meeting discussion may fall under the state’s c.61B classification rules and that she would provide the exact acreage thresholds and tax-treatment details for those parcels. She also said that some parcels classified as open space this year have active subdivision or construction activity and therefore may not retain that classification next year.

The board asked whether certain nonprofit or contractual arrangements (for example, pilot agreements referenced in discussion) affect counted new growth; members noted that pilot payments are contractual and separate from assessed valuation. Julie said she would include these distinctions in the materials to be distributed at or before the classification hearing.

The board scheduled the formal classification discussion with the Select Board and will review the staff’s detailed valuation tables and recommended shift factor at that hearing. No formal change in classification was taken at the Nov. 20 meeting; the analysis and numbers provided by Julie will inform next week’s public classification vote by the Select Board.