Litchfield officials have proposed discontinuing maintenance of seven town roads in an effort to cut costs.
The idea will be aired during a public hearing scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Town Office. The meeting will be moved to the fire station if more space is needed.
Additional Images
Litchfield roads in question
A section of Gustin Road
Dingley Road
Huff Mill Road
John Tarr Road
Old Mill Road
Beaver Drive
Jungle Lane
Road Commissioner Steve Ochmanski, selectmen and the seven-person road committee are recommending discontinuing town maintenance of the seven roads, which include a section of Gustin Road; Dingley, Huff Mill, John Tarr and Old Mill roads; Beaver Drive; and Jungle Lane. The town would give up control of the roads, the care of which would become the responsibility of the roughly two dozen residents who live on them.
The public hearing is the first of what could be multiple hearings held before the issue goes to the voters during Town Meeting, which is scheduled for June 13.
“No decisions are going to be made,” Town Manager Trudy Lamoreau said. “They want to hear the people’s concerns and get the factual information out there.”
The road committee has spent the past 15 months gathering an inventory of all the towns’ roads and looking for ways to cut maintenance costs. Lamoreau said the proposal to discontinue town maintenance was driven partly by a desire to save money while affecting as few residents as possible.
Minutes of the road committee’s meetings, which are posted online, indicate that the roads fall short of state specifications and would require an investment to bring them into line. As they are, committee members said, the roads represent a liability to the town.
Discontinuing maintenance on the roads would allow the town to “continue maintenance on the good ones” without affecting the budget, Lamoreau said. At least some of the roads were built originally as private roads and then taken over by the town. Lamoreau was unsure which roads were originally private and when the transfer occurred.
Lamoreau said information has been sent to each of the homeowners on all seven roads. She said the proposal has generated interest from residents, many of whom have come to talk to Lamoreau about the proposal. She said she understands the emotion the plan engenders, and she hopes the hearing offers a chance for the greatest number of people to have their say.
“We want to talk to people,” Lamoreau said. “That’s their ultimate goal, to bring it forward and see what the townspeople want.”
Craig Crosby — 621-5642
Twitter: @CraigCrosby4
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