Pit Would Serve
Bethel's Needs

Bethel's lack of a news correspondent means that most folks do not know that a crushed gravel operation exclusively for Bethel municipal use is being applied for. 

According to the Act 250 legal notice, an application was filed by The Town of Bethel and Diane Placy and Frank Pratt for a project to extract gravel for use on the town highways over a seven-year period and not to exceed four weeks of continuous activity during the summer. The project is located at 739 Sand Hill Road in the Town of Bethel.

On July 17, 2007 I attended a Bethel Development Review Board meeting on this and learned that Placy and Pratt have an agreement with the town to utilize 12 acres of their land on Sand Hill Road for a gravel pit. The application was made before the July flooding.

The town will extract the gravel over about four weeks per year and expects to get about 8000 cubic yards of material per year, which will provide almost all the material Bethel needs for regular general maintenance and upgrading of our gravel roads. 

Having the town both controlling and working the operation means we will not have to rely on commercial operations, and should save us money and give us a predictable source of good-quality crushed stone which will improve the condition of our gravel roads. 

There will be a state Act 250 site visit at 9 a.m. on Sept. 4, followed immediately by a hearing at the municipal offices. The DRB will probably address the project again at their next meeting. 

Victoria Weber

Bethel