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Board clarifies open-space classification rules for Old Mount Tom Road property
Summary
The Board ruled that properties previously classified as open space retain that designation even if paperwork was late; properties previously classified as farmland seeking open-space classification must be treated as new classifications without benefit of timely filing.
The Board of Assessment Appeals on March 31, 2026 issued a clarification about open-space classifications for the property associated with Tracey Ebner Bushey and Richard Bushey on Old Mount Tom Road. The board stated that any property or portion previously classified as open space shall continue as open space "with no loss of designation as if the paperwork was timely filed." Conversely, property previously classified as farmland that now seeks open-space classification will be treated as a new classification without benefit of timely filing.
The minutes present this as a board determination about classification procedure rather than a numeric valuation. The ruling clarifies how the board will treat late paperwork and the eligibility consequences for properties shifting classification from farmland to open space.
