Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Police chief presses selectmen to clarify occupancy permits and restore fire access on private roads
Summary
Chief Allan Clark asked the selectmen to clarify issuance of occupancy permits for homes on private roads, flagged culvert and maintenance needs on three private roads, and requested cleanup and access to a fire pond and dry hydrant in the Ore Hill subdivision; the board will request road association contact information and said certificates of occupancy can be issued.
Chief Allan Clark told the Sugar Hill selectmen in a written communication reviewed Aug. 4 that the town needs clearer guidance on issuing Certificates of Occupancy for homes located on private roads.
Clark identified three private roads — Garnet Hill Road, Hidden Acres Road and Ore Hill Road — that are not being maintained for emergency-vehicle traffic and said two intersections where those private roads meet town roads have culvert problems that need replacement. He also asked the board to address a fire pond and dry hydrant in the Ore Hill subdivision, requesting cleanup and access to ensure fire protection resources are usable.
Town Administrator Jennifer Gaudette told the board she and staff member Amy will review deeds to determine whether road associations are recorded and whether the Planning Board can require road association information during subdivision approvals. The selectmen directed that letters be sent to property owners abutting the three roads requesting the name and contact for any road association.
The minutes record that the board "all agreed that Certificates of Occupancy can be issued," but they also show the town intends to collect road-association contact information and pursue culvert repairs where private roads meet town infrastructure. The minutes do not specify timelines, estimated costs, or which department will perform culvert replacements; those details were not provided.
The items flagged by the chief touch on public safety and emergency access; the board's next step is deed research and outreach to property owners, according to the meeting record.
