Residents tell Selectboard Raceway Road needs drainage, base work and safety fixes; paving options debated

Several residents testified that Raceway Road's current condition — washed ruts, raised berms from repeated graveling and poor drainage — is a safety and access problem for emergencies, seniors and daily commuters. Vince Camagno (Raceway Road) described a recent emergency where ambulance travel was limited to 5 mph on the worst stretches; another resident urged speed-limit reductions and temporary traffic-calming measures. "In the 30 years, I've seen the road building up from the old gravel... it was so bad [an ambulance] could only go 5 miles an hour," one resident said.

Longer testimony from a neighborhood member (Jim Bethenge) called for implementing drainage and base improvements from a recent engineering report and argued paving should be considered because heavier traffic and climate-driven freeze-thaw cycles have made maintenance more costly and dangerous. Highway staff explained options: removing berms and reconstructing base and drainage, installing fabric and new gravel, and then either keeping a rebuilt gravel surface or adding a paved top. Staff gave order-of-magnitude figures (previous rough estimate for full base repair and resurfacing ~ $350,000; phased in-house approach proposed at roughly $125k per year over two years for base work), and said Raceway is in the top tier of gravel-road priorities alongside Nashville and Packard. The board asked staff to map a 5-year plan and return with prioritized schedule and cost estimates.