ENFIELD — A committee has recommended that Enfield keep two parcels of land and sell two others along Lake Mascoma off Johnston Drive.
After hearing from members of the public and town officials, the Selectboard asked Town Manager Ed Morris to ask the town’s legal counsel to review the recommendation. After that is obtained, there are plans to host a public hearing where residents can weigh in before the Selectboard makes a final decision.
Last summer, Morris proposed using around 1.5 acres of lakefront land off the Northern Rail Trail on Johnston Drive for a new town beach.
That proposal was met with reluctance — particularly by abutters who live on the short access road off Route 4 near the Lebanon town line.
Last December, the Selectboard-appointed Johnston Property Use Committee began meeting to study what to do with the land. At Monday night’s Selectboard meeting, committee chairman Nate Miller presented its nonbinding recommendation to a mixed response from the public.
Two parcels — just under an acre of land — would become a permanent recreation area for the public that would be accessed primarily by biking and walking from the Northern Rail Trail or from boats on the lake.
The committee recommended that the town sell the remaining two parcels, which total about half an acre. The recommendation also calls for “limited vehicular access” and would include three parking spaces for people who have disability license plates and placards under state law.
“This was an area we talked a lot about, and everybody recognizes the challenges related to that road and access that that road provides,” Miller said.
The proposal calls for the town to create a small, unpaved parking area.
“That is to insure that the people in our community who have disability challenges related to mobility that can’t otherwise access the property by foot, bicycle or water have reasonable ability to access the property,” Miller added.
The committee recommended that the town demolish all existing structures on the two properties. There were also suggestions for future picnic tables and a bicycle rack. The committee did not suggest any changes to the waterfront itself, and swimming should be at the risk of those who visit the property.
The committee also said that the site should be treated as a “pack in, pack out” spot and that there should be no portable toilets or trash cans.
While meeting attendees were generally receptive to the plan, abutters raised concerns about how the property currently is being used by the public.
“We’re already experiencing difficulties with cars parking down there, blocking the road, leaving trash, urinating, toilet paper, yet you’re not going to put garbage cans, you’re not going to put a bathroom, you’re just going to welcome more and more people to trash our environment,” said abutter Lisa Buck-Rogers. “Who’s going to police this? It’s already a mess.”
Enfield Police Chief Roy Holland said that in the last few weeks, the department has received around a dozen calls about the property, including a number of complaints about parking.
“There’s definitely been a misunderstanding among a bunch of people about what right of way is and what a private road actually is,” Holland said.
Johnston Drive is a private road, and since the town owns properties off Johnston Drive, the town of Enfield has access to the road.
Abutter Barbara Ruel echoed Buck-Rogers’ concerns about the rights of way on the property and said that signs posted by the town have created confusion about where parking is allowed.
“The plan sounds great,” Ruel said about the committee’s recommendation for having part of the property be a public recreation area.
Holland also raised questions about the committee’s recommendation to have only three parking spaces, as there will need to be some improvements made to the road and property to create those spots.
“Why not put 12 or 13 parking spaces to open it to the general public?” he asked.
Miller said the three ADA spaces were a compromise after the committee heard from abutters and that there were also safety concerns about the Johnston Drive and Route 4 intersection.
Selectboard member John Kluge brought up that the police department has challenges patrolling parking at the Shakoma Beach parking area and the boat launch off Route 4A and Main Street. He asked Holland about how the Johnston property would compare.
“My immediate reaction to this is it’s quite frankly almost unenforceable for our PD to manage three ADA-compliant (spaces),” Holland said. “We’re going to be there significantly more than we’re probably already there in the last two to three weeks, plus on top of our Shakoma Beach parking stuff we already have.”
Resident Dan Kiley also said he worried that people would park along Route 4 and walk down to the property.
“I don’t think you want young families getting out of their cars on Route 4 and walking down there,” he said.
Barbara Jones, an abutter on the property, said she did not have a problem with people driving down Johnston Drive.
“We have five seconds of summer. Let these people enjoy it,” Jones said. “Let the families come down with their kids and unload right there.”
She did take issue with the signage the town had posted and encouraged officials to do better.
“The town has produced a situation where there is chaos,” she said.
Officials said that once the Selectboard makes a decision about the property, better and more permanent signs will be installed.
As the discussion drew to a close, the Selectboard asked Morris to take the committee’s recommendation to the town’s legal counsel. There is no set timeline for the process, and a public hearing will be scheduled after the town hears back from its attorneys.
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
