<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none"><!-- p { margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; } @font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; } @font-face { font-family: Calibri; } p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; } span.EmailStyle17 { font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: windowtext; } .MsoChpDefault { font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; } @page WordSection1 { margin: 1in; }--></style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr" style="font-size:12pt;color:#000000;background-color:#FFFFFF;font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<p>Hi Mike,<br>
</p>
<p>Back in 2014 we had a similar case here in Middleton. In this case, all properties with rights to the paper street already had frontage on another road and were using the paper street as part of their properties - in essence, they became abutters. This
worked for everyone involved until one property owner's septic system failed and he needed more land to create a new septic field. The abutting owner was willing to sell him his part of the old paper street - but they needed to make the abandonment of this
paper street "official." The link below is to the ANR that was filed to "extinguish" the paper street and to show the parcels that would eventually be transferred. <br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><a href="https://salemdeeds.com/salemdeeds/PlanDisplay.aspx?type=rec&src=plbp&book=444&page=99&booktype=Plan&machine=*">https://salemdeeds.com/salemdeeds/PlanDisplay.aspx?type=rec&src=plbp&book=444&page=99&booktype=Plan&machine=*</a></p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>I believe our Select Board also took action under MGL c40s15 to "abandon" or "extinguish" any rights the town had in the way. I do remember there was some uncertainty if they even had to do this as the subdivision predated Subdivision Control and the town
never accepted fee or easements in the paper road at any time. If you are interested I can research whether they took official action on this.<br>
</p>
<p><a href="https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter40/Section15">https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter40/Section15</a><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div id="Signature">
<div name="divtagdefaultwrapper" style="font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:; margin:0">
<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4" color="#333399"><b style="">Katrina O'Leary, AICP</b></font>
<div><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><b>Middleton Town Planner</b></font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">195 North Main Street Middleton, MA 01949</font></div>
<div><br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="word-wrap:break-word">
<hr tabindex="-1" style="display:inline-block; width:98%">
<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" color="#000000" style="font-size:11pt"><b>From:</b> MassPlanners <massplanners-bounces@masscptc.org> on behalf of Michael McCarthy via MassPlanners <massplanners@masscptc.org><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, March 10, 2022 2:18 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> massplanners@masscptc.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Massplanners] Dissolving a paper street</font>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello Mass. Planners,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I wanted to check the opinions of the great minds on our trusty listserv before I dove into the literature on this. We have a petitioner seeking to dissolve a paper street that divides two parcels he owns. The “street” is short and only
abuts two other parcels before connecting to an existing public way. The petitioner and the abutters all have frontage on existing adjacent streets, so nobody would need to rely on this street to be built out for frontage in the future (no landlocking). He’s
presented us with a draft plan proposing the road be split into three parcels divided among the abutters but has asked what the contingency is if one of the abutters does not want to assume ownership of the land for tax or other reasons. The owner of one of
the abutting properties lives out of state and he has had trouble contacting him.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The way I see it, there are two options: 1) he revises the plan to only dissolve the paper street between his two parcels, which is all he really wants to do anyway so he can extend his home or 2) he pursues agreements to have the abutters
convey to him the land which they are entitled (he has indicated that this is agreeable to him) and provides us some notarized documentation. Do these approaches sound reasonable? Am I missing something here?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you in advance,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Mike McCarthy</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Assistant City Planner</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">City of New Bedford – Dept. of City Planning</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">508-979-1488</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>