Jaffrey Select Board sets hearings and vote schedule for Union Street easement sale; prospective buyer says lot is landlocked

The Town of Jaffrey Select Board on June 24 approved a schedule of presentations and public hearings that will precede a vote on the proposed sale of a Union Street easement.

The Board set the procedural timeline required under RSA 41:14-a: a presentation to the Planning Board on July 14, a Conservation Commission presentation on July 15 at 4 p.m., a first Select Board public hearing on July 15 at 6 p.m., a second Select Board hearing on July 29, and a Select Board meeting on Aug. 12 to vote on the sale. The motion to approve the schedule passed 3-0 on a motion by Selectman Andrew Lawn, seconded by Selectman Franklin W. Sterling Jr.

John Peard, listed among meeting attendees and identified in minutes as the prospective buyer, told the Board that the building at issue is landlocked and that the easement sale would benefit him. The minutes record no sale price or terms; those details were not specified during the meeting.

Town staff reminded the Board that, despite the Select Board’s delegated authority to sell town property in some circumstances, RSA 41:14-a requires two public hearings after the Planning Board and Conservation Commission provide recommendations. The Board’s approval of the schedule allocates the steps and dates that must precede any final vote.

Next steps include the Planning Board and Conservation Commission presentations in mid-July, the two Select Board public hearings, and the Aug. 12 Select Board meeting at which the Board may vote to approve or reject the proposed sale. The minutes do not record any public opposition or additional public comment at the June 24 meeting about the sale.