Lanesborough Considers Keeping Keeler Island
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town is considering keeping a Pontoosuc Lake island as its own.
Last week, the Select Board voted to consider selling three tax title properties and maintaining Keeler Island, located on Pontoosuc Lake. New statewide tax title laws that went into effect on Nov. 1, 2024, altered some options available to towns, and officials see this as a way to raise some funds.
Treasurer Jodi Hollingsworth explained that these properties have gone through the land court process, and with the new laws, the town needs to determine if it wants to keep or sell them. This includes lots on South Main Street (Parcel ID: 116-17), Chickatabot Avenue (114-8), C Street (112-140), and Keeler Island (115-1).
"These properties have been in the system through the changes in legislation," Town Administrator Gina Dario said. "And so this really is the first point that they're coming to the town for consideration of how to maintain."
Lanesborough has about 15 properties in various stages of tax title. This is a way for the town to start recovering money that has been deferred and ultimately determine whether or not there's any public value to the properties, Dario explained.
"I think the town should maintain Keeler Island," Selectman Timothy Sorrell said.
"I use the lake. I boat on it, I fish on it. Hey, be nice for the town to have a piece of property out there on that island so people can swim from Narragansett Park out to the island, if that's what they want to do."
During his time on the police force, he heard multiple complaints about trespassers on the island, and "If we own that property, the island, at least people would be able to use it from Narragansett Park." He pointed out that town property can be posted as no use after dark, similar to town parks.
"But also give a place for some of our fishermen, too, if they want to go out and leave their boat on the island to walk around the shore and fish from there," Sorrell said.
"I mean, we could label it as a park."
Dario believes there is a public designation that can absolve a town from liability, as it has come up in other discussions, such as the one about Old Williamstown Road.
"We'd have to get a bit further advice, I think, for the town," she said, suggesting that the town consult the Department of Public Works or police department.
Sorrell said nobody will put a house on the island because it has no utilities.
"To me, it’s just a piece of property that the town could own and make use of it recreation-wise," he said, suggesting the town involve the Recreation Committee and the Friends of Ponstoosuc Lake.
He noted that abutters would likely want to scoop up the other three properties.
Selectwoman Deborah Maynard said retaining the island was a good idea and "I hadn’t even thought of that."
Tags: tax taking,
