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Hubbardston assessors recommend against town buying Prentice Hill Road parcel
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Summary
The Town of Hubbardston Board of Assessors voted unanimously Feb. 25 to recommend that the select board decline the town’s right of first refusal on a 1.45–1.54 acre lot on Prentice Hill Road; the board also handled routine Chapter 61 filings, excise warrants and abatements.
The Town of Hubbardston Board of Assessors voted unanimously Feb. 25 to recommend that the select board decline the town’s right of first refusal on a 1.45–1.54 acre parcel on Prentice Hill Road.
Jeff Young, an assessor who reviewed the submission, said owner Alan Prentice is removing two properties from Chapter classification effective July 1, 2026, because they “don’t meet the acreage requirements” unless the trust conveyed additional land. Young said Prentice has opted to sell the lot with his house on it to his daughter; the purchase-and-sale documents and a map were included in the packet. Young said the sale price is set and that the town would be asked to match that price if it chose to exercise the right.
A committee member who led the meeting summarized the board’s view, saying, “I recommend we forego pursuing trying to purchase that property,” and the board moved to recommend the town not acquire the lot. The motion passed unanimously.
Board members also handled related administrative paperwork. Staff presented a rollback-tax warrant for 14 Prentice Hill Road that would apply if the select board declined the right of first refusal, and they noted an earlier paperwork oversight involving rollback taxes for 55 Hale Road.
In other routine business, the assessors accepted the minutes of previous meetings and reviewed several Chapter 61 and Chapter 61B matters. Staff recommended approval of an application for a parcel behind 20 Cruz Road (owner name pronounced as 'Dupis') that will remain in Chapter classification, and confirmed that Robert Loring’s property on North Comet Pond access road remains classified as open space under Chapter 61B. The board also reviewed an up-to-date forest management plan for a Washburn parcel on Old Princeton Road and discussed motor vehicle excise warrants and abatements, including batches covering fiscal years 2022–2025 that staff said they will bring properly prepared to future meetings.
The board set its next meeting for March 18 at 6 p.m. and voted to end the public portion of the Feb. 25 meeting at 6:25 p.m., moving into executive session.
Votes at a glance: the board unanimously approved the minutes, unanimously recommended the select board decline the right of first refusal for 14 Prentice Hill Road, and unanimously voted to end the public session and enter executive session. Several administrative approvals and signatures were recorded for warrants, commitments and Chapter 61 filings; no contested or unresolved votes were recorded in the transcript.
