CHESTERVILLE — The Planning Board is expected to decide next month whether to change the name of Turner Intervale Road at the request of a landowner.

The board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the Town Office, 409 Dutch Gap Road.

At a public hearing Thursday night, Scott Heikkinen asked that the name be changed to Heikkinen Lane PVT. He and Megan Heikkinen purchased the large lot next to the intersection of Burroughs and Smith roads in April 1997. He said he owns land on both sides of Turner Intervale Road, and the road isn’t listed on his deed.

Heikkinen said when a Turner Intervale Road sign first appeared, he called Selectman David Archer, who told him to pull the sign.

A tax map from 1999 does not include a name for the road. The 2000 map does identify it as Turner Intervale Road.

Fire Chief John Archer said his department reviewed road names as part of the state’s Enhanced 9-1-1 emergency communications system. The system requires that each landline phone number be linked to a unique, physical address that clearly identifies where an emergency caller is located.

Archer said the road name didn’t get put on paper at the time because the name didn’t change, he said.

“Right or wrong, before (E) 9-1-1, not all rights of way were listed on the maps,” Code Enforcement Officer Brenda Medcoff said.

The town’s E-9-1-1 Ordinance, adopted in 1996, states all roads that serve two or more properties shall be named, regardless of whether the ownership is public or private.

Medcoff said changes are made to the tax maps as they are made known, but not in consecutive years if there are not enough changes.

“The locals and snowmobilers and fishermen know it as the Turner Intervale Road,” Medcoff said.

Sam Craig, trustee of XYZ Trust, which has legal access to its property through Turner Intervale Road, wrote in a letter that the Trust objects to the inclusion of “PVT” in the name because it could imply the road is private and not usable by the Trust. 

The Heikkinens said they were agreeable to dropping “PVT” from the name.

One resident said first responders use Google maps on their smartphones and it can take years for name changes to show up and GPS systems are often incorrect. There’s a chance of confusing a lot of people, the man said.

One resident said to take the names out of it completely and make it Fire Lane 101.

“We’re talking about human life,” resident Ron Gregoire said. “Emergency people need to know where to go.” 

The town’s E 9-1-1 Ordinance states the emergency management director, with the Planning Board, is authorized to assign road names and numbers to all properties.

Medcoff said the Planning Board will decide the name.

pharnden@sunmediagroup.net

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