MONTAGUE — Selectboard members indicated their intention to move forward with putting an article on the May Annual Town Meeting warrant that, if approved, would make Sandy Lane a public way.

Assistant Town Administrator Walter Ramsey explained the 715-foot stretch of roadway from Turnpike Road toward the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter is technically a private way that functions as a public way.

“For all intents and purposes, to the everyday person, it’s the same thing. But the main benefit of being a public way over a private way is that it’s on the town’s list of public ways, which helps support our Chapter 90 funding allocations,” he told Selectboard members on Monday.

Ramsey noted it has been a long time since this sort of action has been needed in town.

He mentioned the Planning Board will review this matter at a meeting in February “and kick it back to the Selectboard in time to make it onto the Annual Town Meeting agenda, should everything move along smoothly.”