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Town Responsibility and Class 4 Roads
(by Becky Watson, V.P., Lotus Lake Corporation Williamstown - November 12, 2008)
Editor:
Winchester Hill Road in Williamstown is a class 4 road which runs from Rte. 14 up to Ainsworth State Forest. Over the years, it has been well-traveled by many hunters, horseback riders, 4 wheelers, sightseers, and is a recognized road on MapQuest. A brook runs down the north side of the road and empties into Cutter Pond, today known as Lotus Lake to many people.
On July 11, 2007 and on Aug. 7, 2008, severe flooding caused great damage to the road. The brook jumped its banks in 2007, causing the road to become a deep 2 ft by 8 ft gully for about 200 yards. On both flood occasions, the brook was quickly diverted back into the lake - but not without a great amount of damage. Before the 2007 flood, the road was passable. Williamstown’s policy is one of not maintaining Class 4 roads, so no financial help from the town or FEMA was forthcoming in the restoration of the road and making it passable again. The cost of restoring the road both years was privately accomplished by Lotus Lake - $3,500 in 2007, and $7,000 spent in 2008 for flood prevention for years to come.
In addition, three times over the past year, Lotus Lake’s property has provided a place for the Williamstown ambulance and Fire Dept. to conduct rescue operations which have involved the Dartmouth DART helicopters, and Winchester Hill Rd. has had to be used. Fortunately, the road was passable, thanks to Lotus Lake.
The town owns the road but will assume no responsibility to fix it, not even after a natural disaster! Does the town need to rethink its policy? Maintenance of a class 4 road is very different than repairing a road that has suddenly become impassable because of flooding, don’t you think? Here are some of the questions for the town: Does the town want to keep this road? Does the town want this road to be passable by a farm vehicle? The town has refused to “throw the road up.” The town claims ownership - what responsibility does the town have?
Once again, the Williamstown selectboard has chosen to do nothing to help taxpayers. There are two issues here that the selectboard has the power to decide - to repair a road after it has been washed out, and to what extent class 4 roads should be maintained. Isn’t the solution simple and up to the board?
Lotus Lake has done much for the town - what can the town do for Lotus Lake and the Winchester Hill Road Neighborhood.
Becky Watson, V.P., Lotus Lake Corporation
Williamstown
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