18th-century document trips up plans for Connecticut green

(AP) — The mile-long Lebanon, Connecticut, town green seems little changed from the days when French troops camped there during the Revolutionary War.

The same arrangement that has kept away the kind of development that has swallowed up similar greens around New England is now creating an issue for town officials hoping to expand the small library on the green.

According to records that include a court document dating to 1705, the town doesn't own the land.

Culp said many are worried about opening a legal can of worms over questions such as, "Why does the town have liability insurance on a piece of land it doesn't own?" Or, "Why doesn't anyone, including the town or the farmers who grow hay on the land pay any property taxes?"