By Theresa Knapp

At its meeting on Oct. 24, the Select Board voted once again to proceed with an Order of Taking for land at 364 West Street as instructed by town meeting in July. 

“This is an action we take every month to renew that action until we hear from the judge on our court proceedings,” explained Select Board Chair Glenda Hazard.

The land in question is part of legal proceedings between the town and the Grafton & Upton Railroad.  

The board also amended the appraised value in the Order of Taking from $3.9 million, the value voted at town meeting, to the latest appraised value of $4.4 million. 

Mina Makarious, the attorney representing the town in this matter, explained, “The appropriation is not changing, absent a further town meeting vote. The amount that would be awarded in a taking would be changing, but the [$500,000] difference would have to be made up with other funds.”

Town officials said another funding source has been identified to cover the $500,000 difference.