Ashland Planning Board approves lot-line adjustment for Christopher Owens' farm

The Ashland Planning Board unanimously approved a lot-line adjustment for property owned by Christopher Owens at its Nov. 6 meeting, the board chair said.

Kendall Hughes, chair of the Ashland Planning Board, said the application appears complete and that all required fees were paid and abutters notified. The board accepted the application as complete and then voted to accept the revised lot lines as presented. "Motion passes," Hughes said after members voted in favor.

The adjustment affects Tax Map 202, Lots 28 and 29. Under the proposal Lot 28 would grow from 2.47 acres to about 10.52 acres and Lot 29 would be reduced from roughly 10.5 acres to about 2 acres. The presenter for the applicant described the change as a "simple lot line adjustment" intended to keep the farm land with the Owens family and said no new lots would be created.

A board member moved to accept the application as complete and, after a second, the board voted to do so. Tricia Farris moved to accept the lot lines as presented; the motion was seconded by Linda Barnes and passed unanimously.

The board's approval is conditional on obtaining any required state subdivision approvals and on recording a mylar that reflects the approved property-line adjustments. Town staff instructed the applicant that the mylar may be brought to the town office for signatures rather than waiting for a subsequent meeting.

The presenter told the board they had submitted the state subdivision application and expected state approval shortly. The board noted the adjusted lot calculations indicated the larger lot could accommodate up to 21 bedrooms, and that a four-bedroom structure currently exists on the property.

The meeting packet and staff notes indicate the application met Section 2.1(f) of the subdivision regulations, notices were published and abutters were notified; no abutter objections were reported.

The board closed that agenda item and moved on to other business.