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Resident flags auction listing for 12 Spruce Street; board asks staff to verify open‑space status
Summary
A resident alerted the board that a parcel advertised for auction (12 Spruce Street) may be listed as protected open space in the town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan; the board asked staff and the treasurer/collector to verify the record and report back.
At the start of the meeting a resident raised an alert that a property scheduled for auction on Oct. 31—identified as 12 Spruce Street—may overlap a parcel catalogued on the town’s Open Space and Recreation Plan. The speaker said the parcel appears in table 13 of the plan and urged town staff (treasurer/collector, selectman, the town administrator) to double‑check whether the auction lot is part of an open‑space parcel and therefore ineligible for sale.
The resident identified the parcel in assessor map/lot references and noted the open‑space entry shows a larger acreage; meeting members agreed the auction listing itself appears to be for a smaller lot (7.7 acres referenced in the auction listing versus a 136.2‑acre protected listing). The board did not take a formal vote but directed staff to confirm legal status and title information as a matter of urgency.
A meeting participant summarized the concern: “I was alerted to the upcoming auction on town property…and I believe that that specific property is listed on our open space and recreation plan,” and asked staff to report back quickly because of the auction deadline. No sale or conveyance was recorded at the meeting; the matter was placed into correspondence for follow up.
The board did not provide a legal determination during the session. Town staff or the treasurer/collector will need to review assessor records and the Open Space and Recreation Plan to confirm whether 12 Spruce Street is protected.
