Government & development in Ashland

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Last 14 days

• Select Board takes up tax rate, community center patio, manager search. Ashland's Select Board weighed the tax classification question against assessor data on residential share, heard a proposal to name the community center patio, and set a timeline for choosing the next town manager.Ashland News
• Two more town manager input sessions set for Nov. 9 and 12. Ashland will hold two more public input sessions on the town manager: one on Zoom Nov. 9 and one in person at Town Hall Nov. 12. The Select Board encourages residents to share their thoughts.Ashland News
• Conservation Commission closes Waverly Street hearing. Ashland's Conservation Commission wrapped up its hearing on changes to the 61 Waverly Street housing project, weighing a redesign's effect on the buffer zone and two proposed conditions on dumpsters and dog waste.Ashland News
• Weekly obituary notices for Ashland residents. This week's column includes one Ashland entry: Morton Robert Breen, 91, a longtime Ashland resident formerly of Natick and Boston, who died October 30. No service details were listed.Ashland News
• Obituary notices for the week of Oct. 26 to Nov. 1. This week's Ashland obituary notices include Morton Robert Breen, 91, remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, who died Oct. 30, 2026.Ashland News
• October home sales span $435,000 to $1.3 million. Ashland's October home sales ranged from $435,000 to $1.3 million, offering a snapshot of the local real estate market as autumn transactions closed across town.Ashland News
• October home sales span wide price range. Ashland's latest home sales roundup looks at deals that closed in October, from a $435,000 entry-level purchase to a $1.3 million sale, across the town's housing stock.Ashland News
• Downtown Trick-or-Treat draws record crowd. The Town of Ashland said this year's Downtown Trick-or-Treat drew a record turnout and thanked the local businesses that took part.Ashland News
• Ashland thanks residents for FallFest turnout. The Town of Ashland thanked residents for attending FallFest 2026, which featured music, food and fall carnival games, and shared photos from the event online.Ashland News
• Town seeks resident survey on next manager by Nov. 10. Ashland's Select Board has begun searching for the town's next town manager and is asking residents to complete a survey, due Nov. 10, to help shape the job's leadership profile.Ashland News
• Town seeks volunteers for manager screening panel. The Ashland Select Board is accepting applications through Nov. 11 for residents to serve on a Town Manager Screening Committee that will review candidates and recommend finalists.Ashland News
• Senior Center wins state innovation award. The Massachusetts Council on Aging gave Ashland Senior Center its Innovation of the Year award for a new Digital Literacy Lab built with a $25,000 grant, offering classes in computer skills, digital literacy, writing and virtual exploration.Ashland News
• ZBA grants two variances for Olive Street house. Ashland's Zoning Board of Appeals applied a new state "practical difficulty" standard for the first time to let a house sit on a lot with about 20 feet of driveway frontage, as abutters warned the real aim is opening roughly 10 acres to development.Ashland News
• Downtown trick-or-treat draws record turnout. The Town of Ashland announced Oct. 29 that this year's Downtown Trick-or-Treat event drew a record turnout and thanked the local businesses that took part.Ashland News
• Town thanks residents for FallFest turnout. The Town of Ashland thanked residents for attending FallFest 2026, which featured music, food and fall carnival games, and shared photos from the event online.Ashland News
• Screening committee seeks volunteers by Nov. 11. The Ashland Select Board is accepting applications through Nov. 11 for residents to serve on a Town Manager Screening Committee that will review candidates and recommend finalists.Ashland News
• ZBA weighs variances for Olive Street house. Ashland's Zoning Board of Appeals weighed two variances for an Olive Street house, applying a new state "practical difficulty" standard for the first time. Abutters warned the move could open about 10 acres to development, straining local sewer and road capacity.Ashland News
• Ashland schools earn state multilingual learner awards. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recognized Ashland Public Schools for its work with multilingual learners, citing the district's 2024-2025 Seal of Biliteracy outcomes.Ashland News
• Deed data again shows trust transfers outpacing sales. A new review of recent Ashland deed filings found trust ownership transfers continuing to outnumber priced home sales, raising fresh questions about what counts as a true market transaction in town.Ashland News
• Deed data shows trust transfers outpacing sales. A review of recent Ashland deed filings found trust-to-trust transfers outnumbering arms-length, priced home sales, raising questions about how much of the activity reflects the open market.Ashland News
• Lawmaker urges no vote on Question 3. State Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis argues Question 3's top-two primary system could narrow November ballot choices and hurt grassroots candidates, according to MetroWest Daily News.MetroWest Daily News

Coming up

• Sat, Nov 7, 9:00 a.m.: Monthly recycling drop-off at Ponderosa Road. The town's monthly recycling collection runs from 9 a.m. to noon at 20 Ponderosa Road.Town of Ashland
• Mon, Nov 9, 9:00 a.m.: Town tabulates results from state election. Election officials conduct post-election tabulation for the November 3 state election from 9 a.m. to noon at 101 Main Street.Town of Ashland
• Mon, Nov 9, 7:00 p.m.: Conservation Commission meets via Zoom. The Conservation Commission holds its meeting remotely via Zoom from 7 to 10 p.m.Town of Ashland
• Tue, Nov 10: Town manager community input survey closes. The Select Board's survey on the next town manager closes Nov. 10. The board has engaged the Collins Center to assist with recruitment and selection.Town of Ashland
• Tue, Nov 10, 10:00 a.m.: Roadway Traffic Study Committee meets at Public Safety Building. The committee meets from 10 a.m. to noon at the Public Safety Building, 12 Union Street.Town of Ashland
• Wed, Nov 11: Town manager screening committee applications due. Residents interested in serving on the Select Board's Town Manager Screening Committee must apply by Nov. 11.Town of Ashland

Updated daily from the Ashland morning brief.