Harpswell board conditionally approves 'Tuna Lane' but defers a second road name after resident cites ordinance and well‑in‑right‑of‑way concerns

Town planner Margaret McIntyre briefed the Select Board on two proposed road namings. One is a new road inside a subdivision that will require an amendment to the subdivision plan before a name can be final. The board moved to conditionally approve the proposed name (commonly called "Tuna Lane") contingent on the applicant completing the subdivision amendment and obtaining any required DOT approvals.

The board deferred action on a second proposed name for a road that splits Uncle Pete's property and the Harpswell Post Office after resident Daniel Moody told the board the strip does not comply with the town road ordinance. Moody told the board the deeded right‑of‑way is 30 feet (not the 33‑foot standard noted in the ordinance), that five dwellings rely on the path, and that his well appears to sit inside the right‑of‑way—facts he said were not disclosed when he bought his lot. He urged the board not to proceed with naming until DOT curb‑cut approval and any required subdivision or deed work were completed.

The town planner confirmed the road section in question was created in a 2011 division and clarified that roads older than the town's current ordinance are often grandfathered, but that this road's timeline and the need for DOT curb‑cut approval complicate the request. The board agreed with staff recommendation to wait for DOT input (including whether a curb cut will be authorized) and for any subdivision amendments before revisiting the second name.

The conditional approval for the first road makes the name effective only after the applicant completes the subdivision amendment and DOT/other approvals; the board recommended the clerk not publish the name until those steps are finished.