Work on the Cheney Farm water-tank replacement project drew extended Select Board attention on May 27 after town staff said the contractor veered off the approved access route and drove across Cheney Farm property without prior town authorization.

Town Manager Jeff Schultz said the contractor initially represented it would upgrade existing roads to access the tank site but later crossed a field and created a new temporary road across Cheney Farm property after finding ledge and slope constraints on the planned route. Schultz said, “this is not acceptable” and that the town is investigating whether the contractor violated the approved limits of disturbance despite the contractor’s claim that overall permitted disturbance acreage was not exceeded.

Town engineers told the manager they believed the contractor’s work may not exceed the acreage authorized under the state permit but that the work did veer outside the plan’s specified limits of disturbance. The manager said the contractor and engineer asserted they had stayed clear of the protected archaeological site and that the contractor acknowledged not having contacted the town before changing access.

Select Board members and conservation representatives criticized the lack of prior notice and urged stricter on-site controls. Lydia, a Select Board member, said better planning should have identified the steep slopes and turning constraints earlier and that the surprise altered public expectations about how work would proceed. She noted a possible positive—by routing heavy truck traffic away from the more-used trail corridor, the temporary access could reduce user exposure to heavy equipment—but said the town must have been consulted in advance.

John, another board member, and others raised concerns about staging piles, rock fall from excavated material, erosion and the spread of invasive plants. He said the contractor’s stockpiles near the quarry had produced loose rocks on a trail beneath them and asked that silt-control and fencing be checked.

Schultz said contractors would be required to restore disturbed areas and that the town will confirm restoration details, including whether temporary parking or cleared areas will remain. He said the contractor had indicated it would re-grade and re-seed disturbed areas once heavy work ends, and that the town’s engineers would formally assess permit compliance and erosion controls.

The board directed staff to document the deviations, confirm whether permits were violated, ensure required erosion-control measures and trail safety signage are installed, and report back to the board. No disciplinary or financial penalties were imposed at the meeting; board members said they expect to reserve judgment until the investigation is complete.