China Select Board approves discontinuance of public easement on Old Route 202

The China Select Board on Aug. 11 approved an order discontinuing the public easement over Old Route 202 from Causeway Road to State Route 202 following a public hearing. The board voted 5-0 to accept the order.

At the hearing, Attorney Meader reviewed the creation of Old Route 202 and said the town’s record reflects a public easement — which “gives permission to drive through or walk through the property,” not ownership. She told the board that the property owners, Tory and Kimberly Stark, need to complete critical updates to the parcel but were unable to secure financing while the property description showed only an easement.

The Select Board closed the public hearing at 6:48 p.m. (motion by Blane Casey; second by Thomas Rumpf) and later approved the Order of Discontinuance (motion by Thomas Rumpf; second by Jeanne Marquis). The discontinuance is intended to remove the public easement interest so the owners can pursue financing and property improvements; the minutes record no opposing votes.

Why it matters: removing or discontinuing a public easement can change how a property is described in public records and may affect the ability to obtain mortgages or construction financing. The board’s action does not, in the minutes, indicate a transfer of title; the record discussed at the hearing focused on the nature of the town’s interest as an easement rather than ownership.

The board’s next administrative steps are not specified in the minutes; the town manager and attorney are listed as present and on the record. The meeting adjourned at 7:29 p.m.