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Council members debate access to parcel blocked by road of unclear ownership
Summary
Council members discussed a parcel with no clear access because a narrow road lacks documented ownership and the landowner does not have the 120‑foot frontage required to build. Options raised included purchasing a strip for a driveway or pursuing an adverse‑possession claim; council expressed reluctance to assume road construction or maintenance.
Council members spent the opening portion of the meeting addressing a property that lacks lawful access because a narrow road adjacent to it appears to have no recorded owner.
One council member said the road is “not a big enough road to put anything high,” and noted that the property owner cannot meet the 120‑foot frontage needed to build. Council members agreed the town would not likely build a new public road simply to enable the private development.
Speakers discussed two practical options: determine who currently holds title and purchase the strip needed for a driveway, or explore whether long‑term, uninterrupted use could create a claim to the access (a form of adverse possession or prescriptive right). As one council member put it, “His best option is to try and figure out who owns it and buy it for his driveway.”
Council members noted uncertainty about taking on maintenance or improvement of the road. One speaker said they would follow up with the property owner and with local staff (naming “Rob, Robert, Robbie Webb” in the discussion) and report back in a couple of weeks.
The council did not direct staff to begin any formal acquisition or road‑construction work during the meeting; the matter was placed on the record for further follow‑up.
