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SURVEY: Town Is Sole Owner of Squannacook Hall Driveway [with video]

Following a survey conducted last week by Ross Engineering at the request of the Town Manager Mark Haddad to determine the lot line of the driveway between the historic Squannacook Hall and the abutting Christian Union Church in West Groton, it is definitive that the town owns the full width of the driveway from West Main Street to the back of the property.

The survey was done following a claim by church member Carl Rodrigues at an earlier Planning Board public hearing that the church actually owned a portion of the driveway. The church has been using the driveway but it is now documented that it is wholly owned by the town.

The issue arose as a result of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Squannacook Hall building that has essentially been vacant for a number of years with some use by the Boy Scouts.

Following two separate RFPs, local builders Halsey Platt and Chris Brown submitted a bid that would create four residential units in the structure, with off-street parking for nine vehicles and installation of a Presby Septic System to serve the three, one-bedroom units and one, two-bedroom rental units.

The church members raised a number of objections including the issue of the driveway and Rodrigues indicated that the buyers of the property would not get an easement for the driveway. Now an easement is moot, as ownership of the full driveway is clear. "The driveway does not sit on church property," Haddad said.

The builders' proposal for adaptive re-use of Squannacook Hall will be presented to voters at the Annual Town Meeting on Oct 21 as a concept plan.

There are several successful examples of driveway sharing between churches and private properties in Groton; Union Congregational Church in Groton Center and an abutting property, and First Parish Church and Lawrence Academy.

Haddad said that a separate review of the proposed Presby System design determined that the new septic system for the building would be sufficient to support five bedrooms planned for the four residential apartment units.

Groton Herald

Mailing Address
P.O. Box 610, Groton, Massachusetts 01450
 

Office
145 Main Street, Groton, Massachusetts 014510
[Prescott Community Center]
 

Telephone: 978-448-6061
 

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