An emergency patch to Heater Road, which disintegrated into an impassable mud pit Sunday, sparked controversy among members of the Damariscotta Board of Selectman and Town Manager Greg Zinser.
On Sunday when cars became stuck on the road, and needed to be towed out, the situation required immediate attention, said Zinser.
A meeting Monday with public safety officers revealed emergency vehicles would be unable to pass through Heater Road.
Zinser consulted with Hagar Enterprises Inc., the town plow contractor, about costs to fix or temporarily repair the problem. Hagar gave the town a quote of $4136 to, “get the road passable until summer,” he said.
Zinser went ahead and had Hagar repair the road. “I was within my right to make a decision about public safety under $5000,” he said. “I wanted to expedite the process instead of slowing it down.”
Heater Rd. isn’t even a road at all, according to Zinser. It is a series of easements across land to allow the owners access, definitely private, he said.
“The town has a vested interest because we have a responsibility to public safety,” he said. “We also need to have access to our salt and sand, so we can treat roads.”
The board discussed short and long-term options for fixing Heater Road with residents at a meeting in December or January. They will meet again about the Heater Road issue on March 18 at the Damariscotta Town Office at 6 p.m.
