Harwich is set to expand its tax base in Fiscal Year 2027 by adding a nearly 20-acre parcel previously lost in a jurisdictional limbo. During the April 17 meeting of the Real Estate and Open Space Committee, Colleen Medeiros of the Assessor’s Office announced that a title search for a 19.7-acre tract located behind Little Shaver has successfully moved the land from unidentified status to the Owners Unknown tax roll.

The move represents a significant step in the town's ongoing effort to formalize land ownership and generate revenue from abandoned or orphaned parcels. Medeiros explained that the shift allows the town to establish a billing record, which eventually enables a tax taking if no heirs come forward. All of these blank holes you submitted were unidentified. We have to determine the owner, Medeiros told the committee. If we cannot, we assess it to Owners Unknown to get them on the tax roll and establish a bill. Chair Dave Callahan noted that the parcel was initially thought to be larger, stating, Because it originally started as 35 acres... I thought it was going to be closer to 28. Medeiros committed to re-measuring the acreage using CAI mapping before finalizing the FY27 records.

The committee discussed the legal protections afforded by this process, particularly regarding adverse possession. Committee member Kathy [Last Name Unknown] asked, So this prevents anybody from taking the land by adverse possession? Medeiros confirmed that establishing an ownership record prevents abutters from claiming the land through use. Carol Porter raised concerns about liability, asking, But until the town sends them a bill, they're still not liable for the tax, right? Medeiros clarified that once the record is created, the onus is on any potential owner to prove their deed and pay back taxes. Marcy Smith followed up on the enforcement timeline, asking, If they don't pay, then it becomes a tax taking? Medeiros confirmed that non-payment triggers the legal process for the town to eventually acquire the property.

Research is also intensifying on the landlocked Alido Farm parcel, where researchers have identified heirs of the Rose family. Medeiros noted that the death of an heir, Glenn Rose, has required the town’s title abstractor to follow a new branch of the family tree to determine if they wish to claim the property or donate it to the town. Committee members expressed a desire for more frequent updates to the Select Board to allow for eminent domain discussions. I think one of our next steps is to have someone from the Tax Collector's office come and fill us in on how they handle it—how they select which ones to move forward to legal, said Ela Shavevel.

Shavevel also provided a sobering update on the Affordable Housing Trust’s recent activities, describing the status of the CIS property, which houses a local theater company, as a mess regarding who owns what and whose insurance covers what. She further detailed complications surrounding the Marceline property on Queen Road, noting that the project must still resolve access issues involving Basset Lane, a notorious paper road that has become a friction point for town developers. It will be years before a shovel is in the ground because the developer has to go for grants, Shavevel noted regarding the Marceline site.

The committee also looked ahead to the upcoming Town Meeting, which will feature the long-awaited Local Comprehensive Plan. Margo Shave, who has worked on the document for nearly four years, described it as encyclopedic and a vital source of information for the town’s future. The Local Comprehensive Plan is finally going to Town Meeting. I'm anticipating a positive vote, Shave said. Additionally, the committee reviewed Community Preservation Act articles, including the acquisition of Robins Pond Woodland, which Kathy noted has received support from the Finance Committee and Select Board.