Cheshire Will Continue to Plow Private Roads
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Selectmen on Tuesday rejected a letter request to stop plowing and maintaining private roads.
The letter from a citizen had asked that the Department of Public Works end its maintenance of the privately held lanes until the issue could be placed for a vote on a town meeting warrant.
But Chairman Paul Astorino said the plowing and minor maintenance will continue unless town meeting votes against it.
"We aren't going to do anything, but they have the right to petition and put it on the ballot," Astorino said. "We will stick with historic best practice."
Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said it would mean all of the camp roads would not be plowed and that would be a safety concern.
"We maintain them for ambulance, fire and police," she said. "If we stopped and everyone had to maintain the road and someone died at the end of the street because we can't get in there, that would be awful."
In other business, Astorino said he would like to hire a replacement for Department of Public Works Director Peter Lebvre before the end of the year so the individual could work with Lebvre before he retires in April.
"Maybe we should think about posting that position now and getting a list of candidates and maybe get someone on board for the first of the year," he said. "They can understudy under Pete before he retires ... you can't just walk in there and sit at his desk and know what the heck to do."
The new director could drive a plow in the meantime, he said.
Francesconi said she rather wait until after the first of the year so the town can attract more potential applicants; Astorino said he rather not wait much longer than that.
Even if the new director could work under LeFebvre for a year, he or she could not gain all the knowledge LeFebvre has gained over 38 years, Francesconi said.
"They are never going to have his memory file that he has about where the streams, rivers and drainage ditches are," she said. "They will never have that even if they work for six months to a year with him."
The Cheshire Community Association also met with the board and said it plans to ask the Northern Berkshire Cultural Council for funds to install public art along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail.
Community Association member Peter Traub said an Adams artist group recently installed some along the Adams portion of the trail.
"If Adams can do it why can't Cheshire?" Traub said. "We think here at the intersection of the trail and the Appalachian Trail is an important place to be and what kind of art can we use to draw attention to this point?"
He said both Diane's Twist and Chic's Auto & Repair buildings have blank sides that could act as a canvas.
Association member Eileen Quinn said they have yet to ask the businesses for permission and plan to start slow.
Town Administrator Mark Webber said he recently was contacted by Foresight Engineering, which is designing the Sand Mill Road Bridge repair, and asked to provide a list of abutters for the upcoming Conservation Committee meeting.
Webber also suggested adding the property records and maps to the town's website to make this process easier.
"It is kind of a standard thing that goes out on town websites," he said. "It's another one of those things that will make our website more robust ... it doesn't save the world but it is just one of those things that can make things easier."
Astorino asked Webber to find out how much it would cost.
Tags: art installation, Ashuwillticook Rail Trail, bridge project, plowing,
