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Residents voice historic and aesthetic concerns as dam removal is raised; WCA owns final decision
Summary
Public commenters and selectboard members raised objections to removing the Mill Dam on aesthetic and historic grounds; officials clarified the Weston Community Association owns the dam and would decide whether to remove it, and that the association currently lacks funding to meet maintenance obligations if the dam remains.
Discussion at the Sept. 23 hearing focused in part on whether the project should include removal of the Mill Dam. Several attendees and Selectboard members expressed concern about the dam’s historic and aesthetic value and the potential loss of the familiar landscape if the structure were removed.
Windham Regional Commission representative Alyssa Sabetto said the application includes dam removal as a potential work item but emphasized ownership: “because the Weston Community Association (WCA) owns the dam, the decision regarding its removal rests with them,” and she added the association would be responsible for meeting state codes, insurance, and maintenance costs if the dam remains. Selectboard member Jim Linville noted the WCA currently lacks sufficient funding to cover those responsibilities, a financial reality the board considered in weighing the project’s costs and benefits.
The Selectboard did not direct the WCA to remove the dam during the hearing; rather, the board proceeded with the grant application while noting the WCA’s ownership and funding constraints would shape any final outcome.
