MINOT – The town is being challenged in court because it refused to give a building permit for property on an abandoned portion of York Road.

Town Administrator Gregory Gill told selectmen Monday night that Kevin Franchetti of Manchester filed a complaint, claiming selectmen were wrong in their belief that a part of the road is legally abandoned. According to the court document received Friday, Franchetti claims that in January he was refused a permit to build a house on his land on York Road.

York Road runs from Marston Hill Road down to Death Valley Road. The first half-mile is acknowledged to be a town road and has several dwellings along it. However, beyond an identified point, the town considers it abandoned to Death Valley Road.

The 81 acres Franchetti recently purchased from Sharon Kennedy and Russell Pratt has frontage along the section considered abandoned.

Franchetti’s complaint asks the court to judge whether the road has been abandoned.

Selectmen are also considering whether most of Old Buckfield Road has been abandoned. In late April, George and Mary Buker, who own substantial frontage on the 1.5 mile road, pressed for an answer. Selectmen are collecting and reviewing all relevant documents on the issue.

At Monday’s meeting, selectmen directed Gill to forward Maine Municipal Association’s response to its questions and its findings to the town’s lawyers.

In other business, Road Manager Arlan Saunders told selectmen he expected Blue Rock Industries to pave Verrill Road, Goodwin Road and one mile of Grange Avenue in about two weeks.

Saunders also said he intended to coordinate his work on a section of Jackson Hill Road with the Maine Department of Transportation project there. If Auburn highway officials go along with the idea, he said, he would like to close Jackson Hill Road from Center Minot Hill Road to Perkins Ridge Road in Auburn, while work is in progress.

Selectmen told Saunders to pursue closing the road.

Jackson Hill Road is a major commuter route linking the Oxford Hills area with Auburn’s mall area. Saunders said he expects that MDOT will be taking over responsibility for Jackson Hill Road once this summer’s projects are completed.