LEYDEN — Monday’s Annual Town Meeting will include discussions on changes to curb cuts and zoning bylaws, discontinuing a portion of Hunt Hill Road and a $2.1 million budget proposal for fiscal year 2025.

Annual Town Meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at Town Hall, 16 West Leyden Road, after a Special Town Meeting at 5:30 p.m.

Residents will consider 30 articles at Annual Town Meeting, including a $2.1 million FY25 budget, which represents a 3.99% increase from the current $2 million budget. Some of the larger costs include an increase in stipends to town officials, but also a 5.06% increase in education.

Franklin County Technical School is seeking $52,373 from Leyden toward its operating budget, up from the town’s current $15,703 contribution. Additionally, the school’s capital request is for $2,381. In total, Franklin Tech is looking for $54,754 from Leyden, an overall 202.68% increase from FY24’s $18,089.

Meanwhile, the Pioneer Valley Regional School District is asking for $890,361 from Leyden toward its operating budget, a 1% increase from the current $881,505.

In total, Leyden’s education budget is a 5.06% increase, costing $946,015. In FY24, the total was $900,494.

Selectboard member Katherine DiMatteo said articles concerning Hunt Hill Road are likely to generate lots of discussion this year, as the matter was postponed during last year’s meeting due to continued negotiations with landowners.

This year’s articles related to the road discontinuance are no different from what was presented last year, according to DiMatteo. During last year’s meeting, the suggestion was to abandon a portion of Hunt Hill Road that runs between East Hill Road and Brattleboro Road.

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If voters approve Articles 9 and 10, then the town can abandon and discontinue a portion of Hunt Hill, and also allow the section to become a statutory private way, effective Sept. 1 of this year.

The road hasn’t been maintained for years, according to DiMatteo, and “it would be very expensive” to bring Hunt Hill up to town requirements.

Additionally, Article 8 would allow the Selectboard and Conservation Commission to accept a conservation restriction on about 30 acres of land owned by Penfield Trust on Hunt Hill Road.

Another topic of conversation will be Article 11, which is a change in Leyden’s zoning bylaws to allow accessory dwelling units and two-family houses by right rather than requiring a special permit.

DiMatteo said the bylaw change would describe the conditions and requirements for those types of homes “in anticipation of the state’s new housing legislation” — known as the Affordable Homes Act — while also assuring that all buildings meet the necessary health codes.

Currently, if a resident wanted to convert a single-family home into a two-family home, they would need to obtain a special permit, which can take three to six months. The plan is to change this bylaw so that residents could simply obtain a building permit, which Leyden’s Planning Board said is faster.

The current bylaw also states that no one is permitted to build a second dwelling unit on their property, including the conversion of a garage to an “in-law apartment,” according to a handout from Leyden’s Planning Board. It’s expected that the ADUs be no more than 900 square feet, include a permanent foundation, and be designed and built to meet the requirements of state building, housing and sanitary codes.

Voters will also consider Article 12, a curb-cut general bylaw for Leyden that would dictate new design standards “to provide better protection of public safety through the orderly control of traffic entering and exiting a public way” and “to provide the necessary grade and drainage to protect the public way from damage and potential hazards on public roadway.”

There will also be a vote to change the Board of Assessors from an elected board to an appointed board, with members to be appointed by the Selectboard for three-year terms beginning in FY26 or when the board members’ elected terms expire.

The full Annual Town Meeting warrant can be found at tinyurl.com/LeydenTownMeeting2024.

An earlier version of this story included an incorrect number of articles on the Annual Town Meeting warrant.