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Board debates converting class 4 roads to legal trails and a recreational-trails grant for Crawford property
Summary
The Selectboard discussed recommendations to convert some class 4 roads to legal trails, a recreational-trails grant for the Crawford property, and how to maintain trails without landlocking property owners. Members asked for careful hearings and safeguards to preserve future road options.
Planning and conservation issues dominated a long discussion about converting some lesser-used class 4 roads into legal trails and pursuing a recreational-trails grant for the Crawford property. Staff and committee members described the resulting management model — recommending that future maintenance be assigned to the conservation or recreation commission while preserving the town's right of way so roads can be converted back to public roads if necessary.
Members raised concerns about landlocked parcels, the need for easements where private access relies on existing roadways, and the process to restore a trail to a road if demands change. The board agreed that the topic requires a public hearing to answer legal and access questions and to ensure no parcel would be deprived of access by the change.
