Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Petitioners and rail‑trail advocates clash over Christian Hill bridge plans; federal funding and historic preservation at stake
Summary
Two petition articles prompted heated debate over the Christian Hill Road bridge and Ashwilla Rail Trail repair: petitioners urged saving the timber bridge in place, while town staff and the rail‑trail advisory committee warned that delaying the federally funded bridge project could jeopardize roughly $2.5 million in construction funds and delay rail‑trail repairs until the DOT 10‑year plan.
Two petition articles and extended public comment focused on the Christian Hill Road bridge and its relationship to recent rail‑trail washouts and grant funding.
Petitioner John Trainor urged the town to preserve and restore the existing timber/stone Christian Hill bridge in its current location, saying he had researched its historic qualities and that dismantling it for a concrete culvert would harm the historic character of the village. "I believe we should keep our historic landmarks here in town and not destroy them," Trainor said.
Town staff and the Ashwilla (Ashville) Rail Trail advisory committee countered that the Christian Hill bridge project now carries 100% federal construction funding and that the project is at an advanced stage of design and environmental review. The advisory committee explained the TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) grant work to repair four major washouts on the Ashwilla Rail Trail is staged and that moving or delaying the bridge construction could put $2.5 million of federal bridge funds at risk and leave the trail unrepaired for years. Committee chair Mike Kowalczyk warned that losing the current federal funding would likely relegate repairs to the DOT 10‑year plan, which could push major fixes out into the 2030s.
Snowmobile and trail advocates also testified that the closed washouts sever an important regional corridor used by multiple user groups; they said the TAP grant and related federal funding were years in the making and might not be recoverable if the bridge project is delayed.
The moderator noted petition articles are placed on the ballot automatically; the assembly took advisory voice votes on the petitions (recorded as 'favor' or 'opposed' in the transcript) but the petition articles will appear on the March ballot for final voter decision.
What’s next: The petition items will appear on the March ballot. If voters express support for preservation, the town will still need to reconcile that preference with state and federal funding rules and the DOT’s environmental review.
