At mainstreetmaps.com , which went online last week, anyone can get information such as plat and lot numbers, lot sizes, and photographs of individual streets.

01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, July 25, 2006

KIA HALL HAYES
Journal Staff Writer

WARREN -- Thanks to a new Web site featuring satellite mapping, it's now a little easier for homeowners to access information about their property.

Through mainstreetmaps.com, residents can view geographic information system maps and town data from their own homes, which saves time for residents and officials alike, said Town Planner Michelle Maher during a recent demonstration.

By accessing the Web site and selecting the map for Warren, residents can view maps of the town according to plat and lot, road names, zones, or by parcels. Residents can also see photographs of individual streets and buildings through the Web site's aerial photo feature.

Searching by property owner or street address allows browsers to view photographs of individual properties and to learn everything from the number of fireplaces in the building to its assessed value, which Maher said is useful for contesting questionable property assessments.

P.N. Associates will install the software in 12 town computers for $3,000, and the town paid $3,600 to use the service for three years. Maher hopes to conduct a demonstration for residents during the next Town Council meeting.

Maher said the Web site, which was installed in her computer earlier this month and last week became available to the public, is particularly useful for homeowners or businesses requesting zoning variances for improvements.

Those individuals are required to notify all abutters within 200 feet, which Maher says can be a daunting task.

"It can take you a while," she said.

Not anymore. In a matter of minutes, Maher accessed the website, found Town Manager Michael Abbruzzi's property, selected the option to view abutters, and pulled up a list of addresses.

Normally, that requires coming to Town Hall, requesting an application and a copy of the appropriate map, using a compass to identify abutters within 200 feet, making a list of their plats and lots and finding those addresses on the town's database.

Residents then have to make labels and envelopes at home and submit those to the town clerk, who mails the notices.

With the new Web site, which will be installed in the Town Clerk's, Tax Assessor's, Zoning Officer's offices as well as in Public Works Department, notifying abutters now takes a fraction of that time.

"Now I can do it in a minute and a half with one button," she said.

khayesATprojo.com / (401) 277-7469