Charlton Select Board Declines to Force E. Bailey's Road Address Renumbering

CHARLTON — October 14, 2025 — Charlton Select Board declines to force house renumbering on E. Bailey's Road, approves new orchard license. At the October 14 meeting, the board voted unanimously to take no action on a proposal by Building Commissioner Kurt Meskis to require the owner of 77 E. Bailey's Road to renumber their home to 81, a change Meskis said was needed to correct a 2001 addressing error and accommodate new construction on adjacent lots. The homeowner argued the town should instead designate a neighboring unbuildable lot as 73A or wait until the lot's owner, Jonah Fosher, decides to build. Fire Chief Barton supported Meskis's intent but acknowledged the sequencing problem exists on other streets as well. One board member called the forced change "an annoyingly painful process" and said he would vote no; the board ultimately accepted Meskis's own suggestion to assign 75 to the house under construction and leave 77 in place until the remaining lot is developed. In contrast, the board unanimously approved a renumbering at 98 Old Worcester Road — from 98 to 102 — after that homeowner cooperated voluntarily, and unanimously granted a special wine-and-malt beverage license to Monarch Orchards, 44 Old Worcester Road, for a grand opening on October 25 and a rain-date event on November 22.