CANTON — After learning Thursday night that Canton doesn’t own 4 acres on Golden Ridge Road where the sand and salt shed used to be, selectmen rejected solicited bids for the property without opening them.

Administrator Scotty Kilbreth displayed a survey map received Wednesday that abutters Pam and Maynard Farrar had done of their land and included the town’s land to alert selectmen. Kilbreth told the board about the mistake as they looked it over.

“They had a survey done of their property that abuts ours up there and what they found is that we don’t own all the acreage that we thought we did there,” he said. “We thought we owned 4 acres, but it’s only 2½ acres.”

Kilbreth said the plan of the area from 1969 had the road in the wrong location, hence the mistake.

He said the town’s property didn’t have any markers delineating its boundaries, but abutting lands owned by others had pin markers.

Answering Board of Selectmen Chairman Donny Hutchins’ next question, Kilbreth said the owner of a property abutting the town’s is being taxed correctly.

He said three bids for the 4-acre property were received and were supposed to be opened Thursday night and a winning bid selected.

However, because the town unwittingly advertised for bids on 4 acres instead of the actual 2½ acres it owns, selectmen told Kilbreth to return them to the bidders with an explanation. Hutchins said selectmen will have to re-advertise the land at 2½ acres.

In other business, Hutchins said despite advertising to fill two vacancies on the Budget Committee and one on the Planning Board, selectmen have yet to generate any interest in filling the positions. If anyone is interested, they should stop by the Town Office and let Kilbreth or Town Clerk Kathy Walker know.

tkarkos@sunmediagroup.net