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Select Board to seek landowner easement and grant funding to restore fire pond filled after 2019 flood
Summary
Canaan Fire Chief told Orange Select Board the fire pond at 340 Cardigan Mountain Rd was filled with dirt during the July 2019 flood and is on the town mitigation plan; the board said the pond is on private land, will seek the landowner’s easement and pursue grant funding to cover excavation costs.
Stephen Kulacz, Canaan Fire Chief, told the Orange Select Board on Sept. 16 that the fire pond on private property at 340 Cardigan Mountain Road (owner: Steven Hennig, map 3 lot 12) was filled with dirt during the July 2019 flood and is included in Orange’s Mitigation Plan.
With unusually dry conditions, the Canaan Fire Department asked what is needed to reopen the pond for firefighting use. Aaron Allen, chair of the Select Board, said the pond is on private property and the town requires an easement from the landowner for access. Allen said the town budget cannot cover excavation and that the board would look for grant funding to pay for restoration and would secure cost estimates for digging the pond out.
A resident asked whether a hydrant could be installed at Orange Pond; Kulacz responded that the site does not accommodate the large equipment needed for a hydrant.
The Select Board recorded an action to seek the landowner’s approval and obtain quotes on excavation costs. The board did not authorize any immediate expenditure from town funds at the meeting and noted that any work would depend on landowner permission, access logistics and available grant funding.
Next steps recorded in the meeting minutes include outreach to the landowner to obtain an easement and collecting cost estimates; the board also flagged the item for future budgeting or grant applications.
