LIVERMORE — Selectpersons Tuesday night, June 20, approved a temporary ATV trail with 20 mile per hour speed limits to access Rich’s Mountain from Gibbs Mill Road.
The current trail sustained a lot of damage in early May, Ashley Langlin-Hebert, Brettuns Wheelers ATV Club president, said.
“The Livermore trails have not been able to open yet this year because of damage from the super heavy rain at the beginning of May and then the continued rain, because we did not want to alienate our landowners with damage, so we haven’t opened up yet,” she stated. “We are prepared to open up from Robinson Road to the bridge on River Road where you guys approved it last year.”
A lot of damage occurred on the trail around Rich’s Mountain in early May, Langlin-Hebert said.
“We rented an excavator, hauled in 32 yards of stone and spent three days work, but it just wasn’t enough, a lot more work is required to make it passable,” she noted.
Langlin-Hebert asked that temporary access be allowed this year from the crossing by Renee Grondin’s property on Gibbs Mill Road through Fish Meadow Road, approximately 1.7 miles. The landowner up there is also going to be building a house for his daughter where the current trail is, she noted. The club is unable to re-route the trail to open it up this year because of a steep grade coming to the road, she stated.
If the trail is not approved, the south end of the trail will have to be shut off, Langlin-Hebert said. That would mean nothing could go from Gibbs Mill Road by the two stores, the park and ride at Brettuns, any of them, she noted.
Signs would be posted to stay on pavement to reduce dust and erosion and maintain approved speed limits, Langlin-Hebert said. “If the landowner does not offer other options, we might come back next year and ask for this access route to be permanent,” she added.
When asked about the speed limit to use, Langlin-Hebert stated it can be whatever the posted limit is or it can be lower.
The faster the speed, the more ATVs howl, Selectperson Scott Richmond noted.
“As a resident of Fish Meadow Road, it wouldn’t bother me to have ATVs going by,” Travis Tardif said. “My biggest concern would be that corner down there. That’s dangerous.”
“Make sure the signage makes it very clear there is a corner coming up,” Deyling stated.
Putting a stop sign there was suggested by Richmond.
A landowner who previously allowed the trail on his property said no, Langlin-Hebert said. “We did try other options,” she said.
Selectpersons also granted one day access along Goding and Spruce Mountain roads for the Spruce Mountain Ski Slope hill climb on Aug. 26. Langlin-Hebert found out about it earlier Tuesday. The climb was held last year, access would allow riders to get there from the railroad bed [parking area] or the River Road access route, she said.
“The more ATVs that are there and not cars, the better,” Selectperson Joshua Perkins said. The parking is terrible, he added.
In other business, a public hearing was scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at the Town Office/Fire Station Complex. Ben Thone is seeking a license for a marijuana cultivation facility on River Road.
“All the work is done, the Planning Board needs to hold a public hearing,” Administrative Assistant Carrie Judd said.
“Terry Pinkham, the code enforcement officer contacted me,” Richmond stated. “We were one day short of having the 10 days required to set the hearing, couldn’t do it tonight.”
Selectpersons will not be meeting on July 3, the next scheduled meeting is July 18.
Instead of waiting until the next meeting, holding the special meeting on July 6 was suggested by Richmond.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
