Route 4 paving project coming soon
The state process is moving ahead for the extensive Route 4 paving project in Woodstock Village this year — a project that could start as soon as next month.
Woodstock Village on a spring-like Wednesday afternoon. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
The state process is moving ahead for the extensive Route 4 paving project in Woodstock Village this year — a project that could start as soon as next month.
This was one of the key topics covered at the Village Meeting discussion online Tuesday night. Being held on Zoom due to the pandemic, there were no amendments allowed nor votes taken at the informational meeting. All voting this year is by Australian Ballot, including on such items as the village budget and elected officers. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 16 at town hall.
As for the Route 4 paving, bids for the project opened on March 5. The exact start date will be determined by the contractor, according to Village Trustee Daphne Lowe. The trustees have urged the state to begin the work no later than May 1, and hopefully in April. The project must conclude by Sept. 24, unless there are weather-related delays. The village portions of Route 12 and Route 106 are also part of the project.
“The worst part of the project, as far as disruption, will be the grinding, about the first four weeks or so,” said Village Trustees Chair Jeff Kahn.
Kahn said part of the contract allows for some night work, but they won’t go late into the evening and won’t begin early in the morning. They don’t plan to work on weekends. Lowe said there will be one-lane traffic through the village at times, and some issues with parking.
“I think they’re going to be as considerate as they can” throughout the process, Lowe said.
Another big topic for the year has to do with the trucks that use Route 4. Kahn said there’s an effort by some lawmakers to repeal the free overlength truck permits the state has allowed for years, for overlength trucks traveling on Route 4 from Hartford, through Woodstock, and to the Route 100 intersection in Bridgewater. The free permits have kept the number of oversized trucks down in the village, and the village enforces them. If the repeal is successful, Kahn said, it’s estimated Woodstock would see an additional 15,000 53-foot trucks coming through its downtown.
Kahn, Highway Superintendent Ken Vandenburgh and Police Chief Robbie Blish recently met with the Senate Transportation Committee. Kahn said there was a feeling of “jealousy or resentment” toward Woodstock regarding the permits.
“They don’t see why we should have that special treatment when other towns don’t have that,” he said.
Kahn disagreed with that sentiment and said reducing the amount of overlength trucks is important for safety in the village and also to sustain the road’s infrastructure over time. He said this matter is not being taken up in the House, but could still make it into Senate legislation. He said Sen. Alison Clarkson, of Woodstock, came up with a compromise if the repeal looks likely. It has to do with two locations involving safety concerns: the hairpin turn at the corner by Maplefields, and the sharp turn at the western end of the Rec Center Bridge.
“The amendment that Sen. Clarkson prepared would at least say that those two corners should be re-engineered and fixed before that permit is repealed,” Kahn said.
He added, “Hopefully they won’t repeal it, but it doesn’t look good.”
A question was raised about reducing the current 25 mph speed limit or adding speed bumps if the repeal goes through. However, Blish said those would both be up to the state. By law, police can’t enforce a speed limit under 25 mph, he added.
As for the main items on the village ballot, voters are considering a village budget of $1,345,829, which includes $578,655 to be raised by taxes. That involves a slight increase over last year. Pointing out changes, Municipal Manager William Kerbin noted the municipal office is spending $9,250 to fix its 15-year-old phone system.
Also on the ballot are three trustees running unopposed for reelection. Kahn is running for a three-year term, William Corson for a two-year seat and Brenda Blakeman for a one-year term. Blakeman and Corson were each appointed to the board last year; Kahn has served multiple terms as a village trustee.
— Gareth Henderson
Guide to 2021 Woodstock Village Meeting
Woodstock’s annual Village Meeting is going online for the first time, after Town Meeting also went virtual due to the pandemic. The Village Trustees are holding an informational meeting on Zoom at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. There will be no amendments, and all voting is by Australian ballot on March 16.
Lights illuminating Woodstock Village during the colder months. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Woodstock’s annual Village Meeting is going online for the first time, after Town Meeting also went virtual due to the pandemic.
The Village Trustees are holding an informational meeting on Zoom at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. There will be no amendments, and all voting is by Australian ballot. Among the ballot items are the village budget and elected officers. The village polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 16 at town hall. Printed copies of the 2020 Village Report are available at town hall and other locations, and the report is also online. Absentee ballots can be returned to the town clerk up until 4:30 p.m. on March 15, or voters can turn them in at the polls on March 16.
On Tuesday, a number of topics will be presented by the Trustees, and one of them is the state-run Route 4 paving project in the village. The Route 4 project will begin on approximately May 1 and must be finished by Sept. 26, according to Village Trustees Chair Jeff Kahn. The first month of the project will involve grinding pavement, and two surface layers will be put down in the following weeks. Traffic will continue, but sometimes it will be down to one lane. Along with Route 4 in the village, this project entails the village portion of Route 12 and also the village section of South Road (Route 106).
Having this project done in the second year of the pandemic is a challenge, with businesses already suffering, Kahn noted. He encouraged residents to support local businesses during the project period.
“The plus, of course, is that hopefully that road will hold up and won't need to be done for another decade," Kahn said.
On the brighter side, Kahn noted that, in spite of a difficult 2020, the new East End Park was able to open. The scenic park along the Ottauquechee River is about to go into its first full season, available to the public for play, picnicking and special events. Kahn said Pentangle is planning to move their summer music series to the park and is planning a town-wide celebration at the end of the 2022 series.
In other good news: Teagle Landing, located by the Kedron Brook off Central Street, is set to be renovated this year. That work will start in May and will be completed sometime in the summer.
Additionally, other topics presented Tuesday night will be the local mask ordinance, the short-term rental ordinance, the Cannabis Committee, the overlength trucks, the police union contract, the new parking meters and kiosks, and local parks.
The local Cannabis Committee is studying the issue of retail cannabis operations as it relates to Woodstock. This comes after a new law allowing a tax-and-regulate system for cannabis went into effect last October in Vermont. This month, a number of Vermont towns held votes over whether to permit such businesses locally. Kahn anticipated a village vote on the matter in 2022, and the committee is gathering information.
“The village will provide information from both sides of the question, pluses and minuses, so voters can make an informed decision,” he said.
Regarding overlength trucks, Kahn said the village is working to maintain the free truck permits that keep the number of oversized trucks down in the village. There is currently an effort in the Legislature to remove these permits.
As for the $1,345,829 village budget proposal, it includes $578,655 to be raised by taxes. A slight change is anticipated in the tax rate, going up to a rate of .2021, meaning an increase of 62 cents per $100,000 of valuation. That’s an increase of $2.48 for a $400,000 home.
“That small an increase is one I think the public should be very pleased with," Kahn said.
Municipal Manager William Kerbin said the village was very conscious of controlling costs as much as possible, given the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
“We really kind of held the bottom line here, when we looked at keeping the overall costs down,” Kerbin said.
On Tuesday night, Village Trustee incumbents Kahn, Brenda Blakeman and William Corson will address the public about their bids for reelection this year. All three are running unopposed.
The informational meeting isn’t the only event on Tuesday evening: It will be followed by a regular Village Trustees meeting.
— Gareth Henderson