The latest news about Maine lakes and ponds.

Greenville hearing set on road issues

April 25, 2007 - The town is proposing the discontinuation of two roads-Higgins and Belmont. The former road's discontinuance is based on a decision that the town should not be responsible for a way that serves a single residence or a single property owner. The latter is for a section of Belmont Road beyond the Belmont residence that has not been maintained since it was discontinued as a state road and given to the town several decades ago.

The town is also recommending that a paper Street -- a way never built, but on a map -- off Maple Street be discontinued and the property fairly distributed between the abutters.

Also up for discussion is the sale of a section of a parcel on Northbridge Street currently owned by the town and used as a snowplow turnaround. The request comes from an abutter Jack Whittier who needs the additional acreage to come into compliance for further development on his property.

The public hearing to discuss these issues will be held tonight Wednesday, April 26 at 6 p.m. at the town office meeting hall.

The second public hearing will be held 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2 at the town office meeting how to discuss changes in the solid waste ordinance. Changes to the ordinance including fee structures for the disposal construction and demolition debris and the removal of two town dumpsters that service upper and lower Wilson Pond residences. The town would establish signed locations for waste to be placed for public pickup on Mondays in place of the dumpsters. Placement of waste would be prohibited before 5 a.m. on Mondays.

An initial hearing was held at last week's meeting of the board of selectmen on the recommendations made by the ad hoc solid waste committee.

While no comments were made about the increase in fees suggested for disposal of CDD, there was considerable discussion about the removal of the public dumpsters.

"I think 50 to 75 families are being shortchanged by the removal of the dumpsters," Ralph Johnson told the board. Although he agreed that some items appeared in and around the dumpster that shouldn't be there, he feared the dumpsters removal would mean the town would "see all this stuff out in the woods."

"It's not a money issue," Johnson said, "it's the service issue."

Another resident came at the issue from a different angle. Much of the material that is placed in those dumpsters comes from seasonal residents, both second homeowners and renters, said Maynard Russell, "and I think they are here helping the economy." These people are weekend people who leave Sunday before they would be able to put out waste if the dumpsters were removed.

Seasonal residents and even renters are eligible for passes to the landfill, town manager Johnson Simco explained. Although the stickers and passes must be obtained during town office hours, the landfill is open on Sundays for weekend visitor use.

This article appeared in its original form in the Piscataquis Observer April 25, 2007

Lakes: Lower Wilson Pond, Upper Wilson Pond
Regions: Moosehead


Print this story

Email this story

return to Lake News