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Property owner presses Select Board for no‑parking zone as town seeks easement for Dugway Road repairs
Summary
Property owner Andy Aldrich urged the Richmond Select Board to make a stretch of Dugway Road no‑parking after years of trespass and nuisance behavior; town staff said an easement from Aldrich is needed to complete FEMA‑funded repairs ahead of a Nov. 30 construction deadline.
The Richmond Select Board heard a lengthy public appeal from Aldrich Farm owner Andy Aldrich seeking a no‑parking designation along Dugway Road to address persistent trespass, debris and safety problems while staff explained that the town needs an easement from Aldrich to construct bank and slope repairs tied to FEMA flood funding.
Town Manager Josh Hardison summarized the project history, saying the 2023 and 2024 floods worsened bank failures along Dugway and that FEMA has set a construction completion date of Nov. 30. Hardison said staff has been redesigning work, pursuing archaeological clearance, and reached out to property owners for easements; he told the board, "So we have a completion date by FEMA of end of November," and warned the clock is tight. Aldrich described repeated illegal activity on the parking area adjacent to his land—garbage, unauthorized camping, drug transactions and a dog attack—and said removing parking would "greatly decrease" the problem: "If there was no parking, which is my request, it would greatly decrease it to a point that maybe, you know, it would be infrequent." (Andy Aldrich)
Board members and parking‑committee participants discussed enforcement options (towing and tickets), the limited number of off‑travel legal parking spaces in the area (about six), and the tradeoffs of changing parking availability. Police Chief Cohen noted increased enforcement and towing this season and cautioned that a year‑round no‑parking designation could affect legitimate visitors and property access. Several members urged mapping and a deliberative process, and one member suggested a memorandum of understanding between the town and the Aldrich family as a near‑term step while the town pursues ordinance changes and grant timelines. The board did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting but asked staff and the parking committee to return with draft language and options before the next meetings so the town can balance FEMA timing with resident concerns.
