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Board authorizes court action in long‑running junkyard case at 754 Will Road
Summary
The select board voted to support staff recommendation to pursue judicial enforcement to clean up a longtime junkyard at 754 Will Road; staff said the town will seek a judge’s order requiring remediation and a 45‑day compliance window, then may conduct cleanup and place a lien if necessary.
The select board voted to authorize staff to move forward with judicial enforcement against the owner of a property at 754 Will Road for an ongoing junkyard violation.
Town staff said the owner had been difficult to locate for years, that prior notices were served while the owner was detained, and that there has been no meaningful cleanup or communication to arrange remediation. The code enforcement officer recommended taking the case before a judge so the court can order a cleanup plan and set a compliance timeline; if the owner fails to comply the town could clean the property and assess the cost as a special assessment or place a lien on the property.
A board member who moved the motion said she appreciated the inclusion of photographs in the packet to visualize the site. Board discussion noted the property’s size (staff estimated about 40 acres), the history of repeated notices and the potential for assessed cleanup costs to take priority as a special assessment on the tax roll.
The motion to support staff’s recommendation was seconded and passed on a roll call. Recorded votes in the meeting transcript show at least one dissenting vote; the board discussed that a judge would likely give a 45‑day period after a verdict for the owner to clean up, set a plan with the town, or allow the town to contract for removal.
Next steps: staff will prepare the necessary court filing and seek judicial direction on remediation and timelines; if the court authorizes town cleanup, costs may be assessed as a special assessment with a lien against the property.
