Moretown resident Rae Washburn is working through the logistics of purchasing a landlocked 2.8-acre parcel of land on Lynch Road (off Jones Brook Road) from the town of Moretown for $1.00. The town has the parcel appraised at $13,100.
The deal stems from 2005 when Washburn approached the town about purchasing the parcel. He has previously owned land, with others, in the Lynch Hill area and had sold it. That original agreement calls for Washburn to cover costs associated with the purchase including a survey, appraisal, and title search.
“I used to own land up there with several other people near that parcel. I was forced to sell because of the partners and had always liked the Lynch Hill area. I found out that the town had a school lot up there at one time. I thought it was along the road. I got into it more and found this town-owned lot. It’s on ledge in the middle of the woods. I don’t think you’d get a septic on it,” Washburn said.
Washburn detailed estimates for the costs to purchase the property.
- Title search, $1,500.
- Survey and map, $10,000.
- Negotiate a right of way, if possible? $5,000.
- Total cost, $16,500.
According to Moretown Select Board minutes, Washburn came to the board in December 2024 to take up the issue of the land purchase after a long pause between the 2005 agreement and last year. During those 19 years, Washburn’s mother died and he was serving on the select board, Tropical Storm Irene devastated Moretown and two more subsequent floods inundated Moretown and Vermont. Washburn was on the select board from 1995-2004, 2007-2010, 2012-2021.
Washburn said that after the 2005 board approval he started working on the purchase. When he took it up again last December and this June, he realized it was going to take a while. He said there are delays in getting the parcel surveyed and said that can’t be done in the winter.
Per the June 16, 2025, select board minutes, Washburn talked to the board about the parcel again. Minutes from the 2005 decision that had been missing but were found and the board saw no reason not to proceed with the 2005 decision, noting that the parcel is landlocked “and is of no value to anyone.”
At that meeting the board determined that town attorney Ron Shems should review the deal and that it needed to be warned publicly. Moretown assistant town clerk and select board assistant Sasha Elwell said Shems determined that the property needed to be warned with that warning posted for 30 days. It was warned in The Valley Reporter on October 9, but listed the tax map parcel number as # 07-066.000. That comes up as a Moretown Mountain Road parcel owned by WD and Lola Noyes. A search of that same town database for property owned by Moretown comes up with a 2.8-acre parcel on Lynch Hill with a parcel number of 010-018-000.
Washburn also provided a link to the database that shows a parcel number of 04-066000. A search of the data base (https://www.axisgis.com/MoretownVT) found no matches. Washburn said that if the wrong parcel number was warned, the sale will need to be re-warned.
Select board chair Tom Martin said that he was unaware of whether the public was offered the chance to bid on the property in 2005. He said that when the deal came up again in December 2024 and this summer, town counsel reviewed the deal and found it to be legitimate and within the select board’s authority.
“It was warned in three places and if it was warned with the wrong parcel number, it will have to be re-warned,” he said.
Martin said that if the public is concerned about the deal, 5% of voters (about 75 residents) could petition to have it reconsidered.
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