Select Board Delays Vote on Arboretum Land Deal
Acton Select Board delayed a decision on a $1.4 million Arboretum-adjacent land buy. The board voted unanimously to continue, until March 16, a hearing on whether to exercise its right of first refusal on a 5.8-acre parcel at 46 Taylor Road, with the purchase price fixed at $1.4 million.
Select Board · Meeting of March 2, 2026
Acton Select Board delayed a decision on a $1.4 million Arboretum-adjacent land buy. The board voted unanimously to continue, until March 16, a hearing on whether to exercise its right of first refusal on a 5.8-acre parcel at 46 Taylor Road, with the purchase price fixed at $1.4 million. Member Dean A.
Charter argued "if we own it, we own it forever," while member Jim Snyder-Grant said the Arboretum "doesn't need more acres" and opposed the buy. Friends of the Arboretum president Phoebe Conant and four other residents urged the purchase. The board also weighed, without voting, a policy proposed by member Alissa Nicol to govern future use of license-plate readers and other surveillance technology, continued a Hawthorne Realty Company hearing to April 6, and heard that Police Chief James Cogan will retire March 27 after 42 years, with Deputy Chief Douglas Sterniolo named interim chief.
In the full story:
- The complete report — 955 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of March 2, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.
Members read the rest of this story and every Acton meeting we cover, in full.
Become a memberAlready a member? Sign inA 30-day free trial needs a payment method. After it, your membership renews at the price shown at checkout until you cancel, which you can do anytime from your account. Subscription terms
Share this story
Know someone in Acton who follows town government? Share Townbrief Acton: they can sign up free.