JAY — Selectpersons approved a plan Monday to have a resident plant six to eight trees and restore a stonewall on town property off East Jay Road.

The trees at the town gravel pit were at the property line with abutting landowner Marc Kelvey on Vista View Drive, Select Board Chairman Terry Bergeron said.

The town’s contracted forester, Steve Gettle of Jay, noticed the abutter had cleared some land and informed selectpersons Sept. 28, according minutes of the meeting. At the time, Gettle estimated 12 to 24 trees were cut and part of a stonewall was removed. According to the minutes, Kelvey admitted to the action because he wanted more light for his property and prevent his children from getting scratched on the wall.

Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere and Bergeron met with Kelvey at his property to look at the area.

“Based on our conversation with Marc, it appears that approximately 60 to 70 feet of rock wall was buried,” LaFreniere wrote in a memorandum to the board.

The wall did not extend the full distance of the property.

“Marc also described the trees he removed as being mainly small saplings, trees that had been knocked over during the previous timber harvest, or that otherwise had died, and one larger tree,” according to LaFreniere’s memo.

In 2011, Kelvey requested to purchase a couple of acres of the town gravel lot, LaFreniere wrote.

According to the minutes, he was told the town couldn’t sell the property and that the Police Department uses the lot for a firing range and training area, LaFreniere said. At the time, the former town manager indicated she would discuss the sale with legal counsel, but it could be a long process and would eventually have to go to a town meeting. There was no further mention of it in subsequent meeting minutes, according to LaFreniere.

“Marc felt that the board (in 2011) had indicated they could not sell the property but that they had been agreeable to him cleaning up the property, including downed trees,” LaFreniere noted.

Kelvey agreed the permission likely did not extend to the rock wall and one large tree and he probably should have checked with the town first, she said.

“However, (Kelvey) stressed that his actions were not malicious or underhanded. He was trying to cleanup the area and removed the rock was because his children were getting scratched up by it,” LaFreniere wrote.

In order to rectify the situation and restore the area, Kelvey asked the board via LaFreniere to consider allowing him to replace the section of rock wall that was buried and plant new trees.

Selectpersons accepted the proposal but did not specify Monday which species of trees should be planted.

In another matter, there was no discussion on a possible election to replace Selectperson Judy Diaz, who is expected to resign.