POLAND — Selectmen on Tuesday voted to retain four lots of the former Hilt Hollow subdivision and to take steps to place that land and the adjacent former Furman property under a conservation easement.

The former six-lot subdivision is off Route 26 about halfway between the municipal complex and the high school. It became town property a few years ago when the developer abandoned the property and failed to pay property taxes.

The developer sold lots 1 and 6 prior to the abandonment. Lot 1 has a house on it. While lot 6 could be built on, any such building would not receive an occupancy permit. Selectmen agreed to take steps to make it possible for the owner of lot 6 to occupy a dwelling on the property.

The town took possession of lots 2 to 5.

Selectmen determined that it would be in the town’s best interest to retain ownership of the road but to grant easements to the owners of lots 1 and 6 to access their properties. It was with the stipulation that the homeowners would be responsible for plowing and maintaining that section of the road, using it as a shared driveway.

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, selectmen had been entertaining an offer from someone interested in purchasing lot 5.

Fred Huntress, co-chairman of the Conservation Commission, said such a move would be extremely shortsighted and would adversely affect plans to develop a network of walking trails on what, with the recent acquisition of the Furman property, is a 130-acre tract of town land.

Huntress pointed out that three trails came together in the vicinity of lot 5 of the Hilt Hollow property.

He also noted that when the 60 or so residents donated $32,000 to acquire the Furman property, they did so under the assumption that the lots in the Hilt Hollow property were securely in town hands.

The board was unanimous in its support for the plan to retain lots 2 through 5.

In other business, selectmen reviewed Code Enforcement Officer Nick Adams’ “notice of intent to prosecute” filed against Jeffrey and Verna Coolidge for code violations on their property at 318 Bakerstown Road and authorized Adams to take the matter to court.

Jeffrey Coolidge addressed selectmen briefly, accusing Adams and town officials of harassment, and disputed the validity of Adams’ claims.

“I want this to go to court,” Coolidge said. “I’d love to have it go to a jury.”