SUMNER – Rhea Kennelly, facilitator of the Sumner Comprehensive Plan Committee, told Sumner selectmen Tuesday night that work on the plan is expected to take 16 months to complete.
Kennelly has held two informational meetings with Sumner residents to discuss what a comprehensive plan is and what needs to be done to bring Sumner’s current plan up to date.
Kennelly nominated herself and seven other Sumner residents to be appointed to the committee. Selectmen will have ex officio status, so that the committee will remain an independent group of citizens acting on behalf of the town. New members are welcome to join at any time. The next meeting of the committee will be at the Sumner town office on Oct. 15.
In other business, selectmen revisited three property issues. Code Enforcement Officer Sidney Abbott reported that he has sent Eugene Lucas a property violation notice. Lucas sold a parcel of his land to his son-in-law a few years ago. He recently sold a second parcel in violation of a 2002 state law stating that no more than one parcel may be broken off a property unless the owner has lived on that property for 5 years. The town contends that the sale of a second parcel constitutes an illegal subdivision.
The French property on River Road in Sumner is a similar case that selectmen have been dealing with for the past two months. French legally sold a piece of his property after buying it in 2000. He then sold a second piece to Paul Trudeau, which the town believes to be an illegal subdivision.
French’s attorney disagreed and selectman Mark Silber said that this matter may need to be taken to court in order to be resolved. Until that time, Trudeau is unable to build on the land he bought from French.
A third property issue has resolved itself. Selectmen received word that Fred and Wendy Austin have dropped their appeal of a ruling that they would not be able to build a garage on their property. The proposed garage would have been too close to a waterfront, and clearing trees on the land would have endangered the watershed on the property.
Selectman Clifford McNeil feels that these cases should serve as a warning to the residents of Sumner. Property laws change often, so landowners should always check before selling parcels of their property.
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