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Residents press Poolesville Parks Board over Hughes Road parking and Comcast patching
Summary
Several residents told the Parks Board that parking restrictions near the Halmo Street ball field on Hughes Road are poorly enforced and that recent Comcast fiber work left poorly reseeded patches and an unprotected excavation, asking staff to require contractors to restore turf and secure open holes.
At the July 8 Poolesville Parks Board meeting, residents urged town staff to address chronic on-street parking at Hughes Road next to the Halmo Street ball field and to press a broadband contractor to repair damaged sidewalks and turf.
Jerry Klobuchowski, a Poolesville resident who gave his address at the meeting, said the no-parking signage on the south side of Hughes Road was removed during a vehicle crash and never replaced. "There used to be at least three there," he said, adding that the painted yellow curb is faded and needs repainting. Klobuchowski said on busy game days cars line the curve and create a blind spot for drivers, increasing safety risks for people turning onto Tom Fox Road.
Other residents described poor restoration after Comcast trenching along the Hughes Road sidewalk. One speaker said the crew hand-seeded small excavated squares and covered them with straw; "two days later, wind storm came up, it's gone," the resident said, and homeowners reported a three-by-six-foot hole on private property left open for a month.
Niles, a town staff member who spoke during the public-comment response, said he has been in contact with contractor representatives and has a responsive contact named Joel who secured a permit and returned to make temporary repairs. He noted that permit requirements include seeded mats and anchoring, and said staff will follow up if the contractor fails to finish work properly.
The Parks Board and the superintendent discussed enforcement options: withholding future permits, requiring bonds, and asking contractors to return to complete restoration. The superintendent said contractors are legally responsible for securing excavations and that residents should report ongoing hazards; staff asked residents to send photos so the town can document open holes and unfinished repairs.
Board members also discussed short-term parking mitigation at Hughes Road, including allowing coaches to pull onto grass for equipment drop-off and exploring in-house modifications to create parking bays on town right-of-way. The superintendent said he would measure the site and report back with a plan at a future meeting.
The meeting made no formal regulatory change; residents and staff agreed to pursue permit enforcement and contractor follow-up as an administrative remedy. The board did not take a formal vote on new parking restrictions during the session.
