Residents and staff warn of safety, service and legal risks after Taylor's Lane lot work
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Summary
An extended presentation to the Little Compton Town Council says recent grant-funded work at the Taylor's Lane parking lot has left the surface unable to support municipal vehicles, endangering DPW operations and ambulance access and prompting calls for remediation and a pre-acceptance review process.
An extended statement to the Little Compton Town Council raised alarms that recent work on the Taylor's Lane parking lot has rendered the site unusable for municipal vehicles and could create a public‑safety and legal liability.
The speaker, identifying operational problems encountered since a recent storm, said DPW snowplow trucks (a standard F‑450 commercial chassis weighing about 9,000 pounds when fitted with a plow) sank into the lot after attempting to turn and that one vehicle caused damage to the surface while exiting under its own power. The speaker added an ambulance chassis modified for a tier‑2 trauma unit could weigh closer to 14,000 pounds and therefore pose an even greater risk if using the lot.
“Three months ago that lot was perfectly usable,” the speaker said, arguing the grant‑funded alterations and the chosen substrate now prevent safe DPW operations. The speaker said DPW crews are being asked to perform risky maneuvers or accept temporary workarounds — including piling snow at the lot entrance — and that those solutions are not acceptable during heavy storms.
The speaker urged the council to require clearer attribution on grant projects and suggested establishing a standing review committee to vet grant‑funded town improvement projects before acceptance. He warned that the town could face litigation if emergency vehicles cannot access or exit the area and a patient is harmed as a result.
Council members asked for follow‑up: the chair asked the town administrator to speak with the project designer (Kim Jacobs) and report back, and members requested a factual assessment from DPW and the designer about remediation steps and whether the project has been officially signed off.
The council did not take a final action that night; members directed staff to investigate and report back to the council with more information and next steps.
