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Selectmen approve renaming part of Aldrich Road to Coolage Road after safety hearing
Summary
After a public hearing prompted by a dispatch error at a recent house fire, the Swansea selectmen voted unanimously to rename the Taft‑side portion of Aldrich Road to Coolage Road to reduce 911/response confusion; staff will notify residents and coordinate updates with 911/utility providers.
The Swansea Board of Selectmen voted unanimously on July 1 to rename the upper/one half of Aldrich Road to Coolage Road following a public hearing focused on emergency response delays.
Town staff said a recent dispatch problem — a call that directed responders to the wrong side of the road because a central mid‑section is an unmaintained class‑6 road — could delay fire and EMS units by several minutes. Eric, the staff member leading the presentation, said renaming the portion used by one neighborhood is intended to make routing clear to dispatchers and crews and to prevent future delays.
At the hearing homeowners and neighbors described the road’s history and the practical confusion created by the mid‑section that cannot accommodate large apparatus. Longtime resident Richard recounted that emergency vehicles had arrived on the wrong side before and said he supported the rename to reduce mistakes. Other residents noted that renaming either end of the road would inconvenience some households; Caitlyn Steel argued renaming the Taft end would inconvenience fewer people.
The board discussed logistics and next steps: staff will draft and mail notices to affected addresses, the town clerk will file the name change with the state transportation commissioner as required, and the 911 database update cycle cited by staff is the next routine update window (first routine update referenced by staff is in early August and the subsequent cycle in September). Eric said the town will coordinate letters to residents and advise utility and delivery services of the change.
The selectmen approved the motion to change the name (motion text on the record) and recorded the outcome as unanimous; the transcript does not list a numerical roll‑call tally. The board directed staff to proceed with notices and to confirm the effective date with 911 and other agencies.
