Weston narrows water tank land swap to Case Estates Parcel 9 as fall vote nears

WESTON — June 25, 2024 — Weston Select Board zeroes in on Case Estates Parcel 9 for water tank land swap. The Select Board and Conservation Commission met jointly June 25 to weigh four candidate parcels — Land's Sake Farm, Green Power Farm, and Case Estates Parcels 7 and 9 — to replace roughly 4.4 acres of Article 97 land needed for new tanks at Paine's Hill, Cat Rock and Doublet Hill. Member Lori Bent, the board's water-tank liaison, said she favored an L-shaped five-acre strip of Parcel 9 to link existing conservation land with the Ash Street reservoir, leaving room for "three or four" future house lots. Chair Tom Palmer pushed back on swapping in higher-value land, saying he preferred an equal swap to preserve town "optionality." Attorney Dan Hill, representing Bradford Road abutter Michael Chasen, urged a smaller Cat Rock site that he said would clear 3,500 square feet rather than 34,000. The board separately voted 3-0 to ask Sen. Mike Barrett to amend the state housing bond bill's ADU provisions to require owner-occupancy and bar short-term rentals.