PARIS — The Board of Selectmen voted 3-1 Monday night to recommend an increase to the proposed residential rural lot sizes in town.

Selectwoman Janet Jamison made the motion to recommend the town’s 2007 Comprehensive Plan be amended to require one acre and 150 feet of roadside frontage for rural lots in Paris.

Jamison, Board of Selectmen Chairman Ryan Lorrain and Vice Chairman Robert Wessels voted for the measure. Selectman Sam Elliot cast the dissenting vote.

The recommendation to change that part of the plan will come before the town meeting in June, because it originally approved it, Town Manager Amy Bernard previously said.

The ongoing and sometimes contentious issue arose more than a year ago when selectmen wanted to bring the proposed Land Use Ordinance to the voters, but couldn’t because the Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Ordinance must agree.

Currently, the Comprehensive Plan requires all rural residential lots be at least two acres with 200 feet of road frontage. At a hearing in February 2014, 35 of the roughly 55 residents in attendance said they didn’t want the larger requirement because it could stifle development and because the town shouldn’t tell people what they can and can’t do with their land.

Last fall, the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Committee recommended that the plan change to half-acre rural residential lots with 100 feet of road frontage, which are the current state standards. At the most recent hearing, held in November 2014, roughly 20 residents agreed they wanted something larger than one-half acre, citing the desire to keep the town’s rural character and their fear of country subdivisions and contaminated wells.

That compromise was one acre and 150 feet of road frontage.

Elliot agreed with the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Committee’s recommendation.

“I am not aware that having any half acres is causing us any problems,” Elliot said, adding that he’d like his decision to be based on evidence.

As far as subdivisions popping up in rural Paris, Elliot said he doesn’t see that happening, and if it were to become an issue, it could be addressed through the town’s Subdivision Ordinance.

If someone wants to purchase more land in the rural area, Elliot said that person could. But if someone wants to purchase or give away a one-half acre lot in the country, it can’t happen if voters pass the amendment, which he called unfair.

“It will cost them more. Their taxes will be somewhat higher,” Elliot said. “I am going to vote no on the proposal and hope the public does the same.”

Lorrain said he was originally against the larger, two-acre requirement and first backed the half-acre recommendation, but decided a compromise was the way to go.

“Not to say I am the biggest fan of this, but for the process to move forward there seemed to be kind of agreement … that one acre would be fair to everybody,” he said. “Now is the time for the citizens to come through and decide.”

Wessels wanted to have as many residents as possible vote on the measure and made a motion to place it on the ballot for June’s town meeting, which unanimously passed.

Bernard said last week that if voters pass the amendment in June, selectmen will be able to work on the Land Use Ordinance and possibly bring it to voters in November. If the Comprehensive Plan amendment fails, then it’s back to the drawing board.

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