Town is offered first refusal on Madigan Lane hayfield

The town has been offered the right of first refusal on a 4-acre lot on Madigan Lane. Though now used as a hayfield, the property is a legal building lot in a residential district, and the owners intend to sell it as such. It is listed at $575,000.

But before the lot can sell, owners must jump through a few hoops because the lot is enrolled in the state’s 61A tax classification program. The program allows owners to defer residential taxes while the property is used for agriculture. Changing the property’s use from agricultural back to residential requires the owner to pay the deferred tax and give the town first choice to buy the land. The law also requires several town boards to be notified; the Select Board has the final say on the purchase.

At their regularly scheduled meetings Monday, both the Planning Board and the Park and Recreation Commission expressed little interest in acquiring the property. Planning Board Chair John McCormack said that from a “zoning perspective,” he saw “no compelling reason” to recommend its purchase. Board member Paul Robertson asked property owner Steve Nigzus whether he’d heard anything from his neighbors about his plans to sell. “There is no obligation on my part to notify them,” Nigzus replied, adding that he hadn’t received any feedback.

The Planning Board voted unanimously to “take no opinion” as to whether the town would benefit from buying the lot; Park and Rec did not vote but agreed to “pass” on the opportunity after concluding the lot would not make a good playing field. Both the Open Space Committee and Conservation Commission were scheduled to discuss the land at their meetings this week.

The Madigan Lane parcel was not on the agenda at the Select Board’s Dec. 2 meeting, but it was mentioned in passing. Eve Wittenberg, the Select Board liaison to the Municipal Affordable Housing Trust, reported to the board that it is seeking lots in town suitable for the construction of affordable units, though the trust is barred by its charter from purchasing land.

The Select Board has 120 days from Oct. 6 to make its decision.