Repave Mason Rd, Selex Told

Will Mason Road be paved or not?

That was the question before the Randolph selectboard this Tuesday as 6-8 Mason Road residents expressed their surprise and shock at the news that the one-mile road might not be repaved.

The paved road surface, which had fallen into a dreadful condition, was chewed up and removed last fall, and the road was thoroughy ditched and drained, while new gravel was spread on it.

The town at the time indicated that it would be re-paved this summer.

That question is now up in the air, said Chair Jim Hutchinson Tuesday. The board wants to look at how the newly well-constructed gravel road holds up for a few weeks. Maybe the town could save $100,000 by not paving it, he suggested.

Residents on the road presented a survey showing that of the 14 families on the road, 10 wanted it to be paved again, while four were happy with the gravel surface.

Mason Road, Hutchinson told the crowd, is one of "several" roads that the town is looking at. He mentioned the East Bethel Road as another which might end up with a different road surface.

"The jury’s still out," he told the neighbors. "You all are guinea pigs."

One of the neighbors said that if the road would revert to gravel, it would have an adverse effect on his property value.

But Hutchinson argued it is "debatable" whether a paved road is necessarily better. He lives on a gravel road himself—a road which goes only to his home.

"Let’s just run this test a little longer," he suggested.

Public Works Supt. Joe Voci, however, pointed out that when the road was tackled last fall, his department and the selectboard were consistent in saying that they expected to repave it this year. And after July 1 paving prices will rise, he warned.

Hutchinson agreed that the money is in the budget to do the paving now, but still asked for more time to decide.

Other Business

The Forestry Committee, chaired by Stever Springer, won approval for adding a fifth location to the list of official "town forests."

This one would be along the river bank south of the Third Branch both upstream and downstream of the recreation area.

A group of quite rare plants has been found in this "significant flood plain forest," he said, and if the committee has juristiction, more attention will be paid.

A minor dispute with the sheriff’s office was resolved when the board agreed to a $6000 contract for sheriff services for the next fiscal year, with $2000 more earmarked if needed.

The contract generally has been running at $8000, but two weeks ago the town manager suggested it be cut to $4000.

Joe Voci reported that there has been a very significant reduction in sewage, mostly stormwater, into the critical sewer line that connects Randolph Center with the village.

He credited ClearSource with major deductions, as well as VTC, where the town had discovered that the roof drains had been flowing into the sewer pipe.

The issue is important because more excess sewer capacity in that line would allow for more development along Route 66.

Gazebo Blues

Albert Huntley, who lives over the Pleasant Street laundromat, complained on behalf of himself and neighbors about loud and long gatherings at the gazebo.

"We need to do something," he said. He even wondered if the town had ever gotten permits to "plunk it down" in the Mainstreet-Pleasant Street triangle.

"A lot of people I’ve talked to would just as soon see that gazebo gone," Huntley said.

Meeting Change

Starting immediately, future board meetings will be held on the first and third Mondays of each month, instead of the second and fourth Tuesdays.

The public is invited.