TRAIL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

FEBRUARY 18, 2009

Present from Trail Committee:   Colin McNaull, Lenore Budd, Stewart Pierson, and Greg LeRoy

Present from Ancient Roads Committee:  Don Wheater, Anne Thomas, Howdie Russell

Ancient roads report:   Records before 1850 are very complex: missing information, inaccurate information. etc   Anecdotal evidence is also needed to sort it all out.  After 1850, things improve. 

Bottom line:  A number of ancient roads appear to be discontinued. (such as Lavigne Hill from Red Pine to end of Polly Quinn's land or West Buck Hill to East Buck Hill.)  There appear to be a few ancient roads which have not been discontinued and may be of some interest to trails by connection points of general interest.  Likewise, there are some ancient roads which could well be abandoned. 

Roads listed on the Hinesburg Town Map, including Class 4 Roads are town roads that continue to carry the town right of way.

THE PROCESS

Ancient Roads committee will complete its work and present it to the Select Board, the Trails Committee and the Planning Commission.  Roads to be retained will be identified by some process among these three groups with Select Board having the final authority.  Likewise roads to be abandoned will also be listed.   When these two lists have been compiled, a public hearing will be held before and the Select Board makes its decisions. 

By late fall 2009, the above process should be completed

In 2010, abandoned roads will become "corridors"

In 2015, these "corridors" will disappear

Why were some roads  discontinued?

answer

trade offs for some other property matter

convenience

lack of use

A side benefit to this research is the addition of greater historical data about Hinesburg and how it developed.  This aspect of the Ancient Roads Committee’s work may also be part of the forum when they present their work to the town at a town meeting.

A POINT OF ADVICE:   This report should be seen as quasi confidential since the work of the Ancient Roads Committee is still a work in process. People who have questions about ANCIENT ROADS should attend meetings of this Committee or direct questions directly to the Ancient Roads Committee.  We must not hand out tid bits of information that could be taken out of a larger context without the necessary background information.

This concluded the
ANCIENT ROADS PRESENTATION

Regular Trails business

January Minutes approved

The need for new members was discussed: 

Agreement that the four front porch forums should announce our need for members

(Colin will work this out)

adjournment

Respectfully,

Stewart Pierson