Maine news, sports, weather | Kennebec Journal, Augusta, Maine

FARMINGDALE

Selectment consider culverts

Want to improve maintenance

BY JOYCE GRONDIN, Correspondent

FARMINGDALE -- The town is revising its street-design ordinance, and selectmen say they want to use that opportunity to make residents more responsible for maintaining roadside culverts beneath their driveways.

Selectmen said Wednesday that replacing culverts around town has been the town's responsibility, but they feel homeowners should take some of the responsibility for damaged culverts.

Doing so, they said, would follow new Maine Department of Transportation rules for installing and replacing driveway culverts.

A public hearing on the ordinance revision has yet to be scheduled.

"We have no control over who installs (culverts), how they install them and how deep they install them," Selectboard Chairman Eugene Moreau said.

Moreau said the transportation department recently changed its policy to specify homeowners' and abutters' responsibilities for replacing culverts.

Selectmen said it could be costly for the town to replace culverts, with prices ranging from $400 to $500 each. iI placed under a short gravel driveway, culverts could cost up to $5,000.

Another aspect of proposed changes for the street-design ordinance is whether to construct cul-de-sacs or T-turns on dead-end streets.

The Fire Department has had some difficulty getting around some of the older cul-de-sacs in town, said Leon Crockett, a volunteer.

Moreau said the proposed changes in size address the problem.

Selectmen also said the proposed ordinance change should state that cul-de-sacs do not have curbing or grass in the middle because it creates problems for plow contractors.

In other business:

* Selectmen accepted the resignation of Roger Mallar from the Farmingdale Road Advisory Committee. They are seeking two volunteers to serve on the committee.

* Craig Nelson has been named to the committee examining the possibility of purchasing the Dragon Cement property on James Street, next to the Kennebec River Rail Trail. The next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall.