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Wells Select Board reviews boundary dispute at sanitary-district pump station; staff to notify private owners
Summary
At a Nov. 18 workshop the Town of Wells reviewed conflicting surveys and deeds showing a small parcel at the Wells Sanitary District pump station lies in the town right-of-way; the board agreed staff and the district will notify the private owners and consider signage, gates or a joint letter to resolve access and parking issues.
Town officials and representatives of the Wells Sanitary District spent the opening hour of the Nov. 18 meeting reviewing a long-running boundary dispute around the district’s pump station on Webb Hannah Drive.
Town staff said surveys that accompanied a 2023 site plan and an independent survey by Donald Colon show the meets-and-bounds description for the parcel (tax map references to Lot 28/Map 20A) actually falls within the town right-of-way. Counsel noted the land was previously acquired by the sanitary district through eminent domain in the early 1980s and later conveyed by a quitclaim deed, which conveys only whatever interest the grantor actually holds.
That chain of events produced a practical problem, town staff said: private owners on the opposite side of Webb Hannah Drive have posted “private parking” signs and use a sliver of the right-of-way for vehicle storage, occasionally blocking access to the pump station and the emergency generator. Sanitary-district representatives told the board that during high tides and storms — the group cited the Jan. 13, 2024 event — water has encroached into the parking area and that unhindered access to the generator is critical for pump-station operations.
Town counsel and staff recommended immediate outreach to the private property owners so they understand the title and survey information and to measure potential pushback. Short-term remedies suggested included removing or replacing private signage, posting a town no-parking restriction, and extending the district’s gate or chain-link fence a modest distance off the road to preserve plow and emergency access while preventing vehicles from parking directly in front of the generator.
On the fiscal side, staff said the separate map-and-lot began being taxed in 2015 and estimated potential selectmen’s abatement for the three most recent years at about $403.25 total; the town assessor also cited an immediate option to abate the recently paid first-half bill of $71.68 if the board chose to do so. Counsel cautioned that statutory limits apply to tax abatements and that affected parties could have title-insurance remedies.
Next steps: board members and counsel asked staff and the sanitary district to draft a joint letter to the private owners describing the survey and deed findings, and to return with a recommended path (sign removal, signage changes, fence/gate design and any potential abatement paperwork). The board did not take final action but directed staff to pursue owner notification and report back.
