Groveland Select Board Tables VZ Park Eviction Vote Until After Town Meeting

GROVELAND -- March 16, 2026, Groveland Select Board tables eviction of VZ Memorial Park tenants and drops proposed chicken bylaw. The board voted 4-1 Monday to table a notice-to-vacate for three residential units at VZ Memorial Park until after Annual Town Meeting, scheduled for the last Monday of April, after Town Administrator Rebecca Oldfield warned the town faces insurance exposure and civil penalties because the leases were executed by the Conservation Commission without town meeting authorization and are not legally binding. One tenant, Michelle of 201 Washington Street, told the board she has lived at the park for more than 12 years, holds a master's degree in public administration, and submitted a six-page legal memorandum arguing the Conservation Commission had statutory authority to enter the arrangements under MGL Chapter 40, Section 8C. On the chicken bylaw, after roughly 10 residents opposed the draft on grounds ranging from tick control to predator protection to the town's agricultural heritage, board member Kathy Elwell said the board had determined to withdraw the proposal, though any 10 registered voters may still place it before town meeting by petition. The board also received a proposed FY2027 budget that projects a $96 surplus, adds a full-time firefighter and administrative police clerk, and cuts the trash and recycling budget by $87,000 under a new contract.