SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – On Monday, July 20, at 5:30 p.m., the Springfield Selectboard met at 96 Main Street for an executive session, followed by the monthly board meeting at 6 p.m.
Town Manager Scott Pickup, Fire Chief Paul Stagner, and John Clafflin, town health officer, were on hand to present the board with the latest updates on properties with municipal actions and complaints. Specifically, the property at 10-12 Central Street in North Springfield was the subject of much discussion, with neighbors once again at the meeting eager to express their concerns.
Ultimately, the board moved to continue cleanup at the site through Aug. 10, at which time it can take ordinance action regarding structural safety violations and begin the process to assume ownership of the property should the owner choose not to comply.
The board authorized Pickup to pull $125,000 from the fund balance to begin Phase 1 work on the failing retaining wall on Wall Street. Phase 1 includes the installation of 15 feet of new concrete wall elements to repair the most critically damaged section, and the removal of the existing stairway at that location, which is in poor condition.
The town held a public hearing on June 22 regarding changes proposed for the land-use development ordinance with red-line revisions implemented by the ordinance committee. At Monday’s meeting, ordinance committee member Mike Martin advised withdrawing the earlier recommendation to adopt the new ordinance, due to several items that remain unclear or ill-defined.
At Martin’s behest, the board moved to not adopt the ordinance as-is, and to refer it back to the planning commission for review along with a short list of requests.
Moving on, the owners of Sub-Way restaurant on Clinton Street received $25,000 from the town’s revolving loan fund to help finance an expansion of product offerings, including addition of an ice cream operation.
Next, Adam Goudreau, VTrans project manager, presented the board with the Toonerville Trail bridge replacement project update, reporting that the agency had just wrapped up preliminary quality assurance and design components.
Goudreau explained the plan focuses on four bridge locations along Route 91: bridges numbered 25, 26, 27, and 28. The plan relocates Bridge 27, which crosses Route 5 over the Toonerville Trail, aligning it with Charlestown Road/US Route 5/Vermont Route 11. The trail would cross at the Missing Link Road intersection and again at the southbound on-ramp and northbound off-ramp of Route 91. There will be clearly marked crosswalks, added signage, and crossing signals known as Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, or RRFBs, which need to be maintained at the town’s expense.
Board members and citizens challenged the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists in light of the proposed changes.
Selectboard member Mike Schmitt summed it up, asking, “So, we are taking the trail that had one traffic crossing and are now creating three major traffic crossings and exposing the trail to traffic without barriers, is that correct?” When Goudreau answered in the affirmative, Schmitt said, “So, not a really good biking- [or] pedestrian-friendly plan.”
Goudreau said VTrans will review the feedback, but that major alternative routings would require a separate project. Currently, the schedule would see design plans completed by September, with main construction anticipated in 2028-2030.
Pickup updated the board on the multiple projects currently in action around town, including on Grove Street, Eureka Road, and the ongoing water and wastewater infrastructure work on Bridge Street and South Street.
Acknowledging the inconvenience caused by the repairs, Pickup stressed that they are necessary, long-term infrastructure improvement projects that are completed as efficiently as possible, adding that he will continue to communicate all updates and schedule changes.
The selectboard will meet again on Aug. 10 and resume a regular schedule of two meetings per month in September.