NEWBURY — Larkin Road residents looking to have a gate installed on their road to keep two-way traffic from returning should have a clearer idea of whether it will happen Thursday, the day voters will converge upon Newbury Elementary School for a Special Town Meeting.
The citizen petition submitted by Justin Londergan of 38 Larkin Road and others asks the town to give written notice about the gate to Georgetown, seek written consent from Georgetown Town Manager Orlando Pacheco, and hold a public hearing on the matter.
“If within 90 days of the date of such hearing there is no consent by the chief executive officer of the municipality of Georgetown, to further compel the town of Newbury to make a written request to the administrator for highways in the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to approve of the said alteration,” the petition reads.
Larkin Road once connected to Parish Road in Georgetown via the Larkin Road bridge. But the bridge, which spans Wheeler Brook, was damaged during the Mother’s Day storm in 2006. Eight years later, the adjacent culvert failed in September 2014, blocking vehicular access to the bridge.
Since then, Larkin Road residents have enjoyed the relative peace and quiet that goes with living on a dead-end street. But that is expected to end later this summer seeing once culvert repairs, funded by the developer of a 10-unit open space project on the other side of the bridge, are complete.
All that remains to be done is running utilities, installing guardrails and repaving the roads, all of which should be done in August, according to Newbury Town Manager Tracey Blais, who added that the project cost between $300,000 and $350,000.
While the condominium project is entirely in Georgetown at 66 Parish Road, the only access to the site from Newbury would be via Larkin Road in Newbury.
Last year, more than 200 residents signed an online petition asking that the bridge remain closed to traffic. More recently, neighbors sought a compromise in the form of a gate that would restrict access to emergency responders, residents and the Department of Public Works.
In late April, voters at Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved, 118-58, spending $20,000 to purchase the gate. During the Town Meeting, however, town attorney Lisa Mead said voters in Georgetown and Newbury would need to approve the gate’s installation at a future Town Meeting.
During a phone interview Monday, Londergan said he hoped the town would have followed through on the process on its own after the successful April vote but said he and others were willing to do it on their own.
“We are very humbled by all the support we’ve received,” Londergan said, referring to the community.
The gate proposal was met with universal condemnation by first responders who believe the gate would increase response times to emergencies and local Department of Public Works employees who say it would be next to impossible to clear the area of snow.
In a letter March 21 to Newbury Select Board Chair Alicia Greco, Pacheco wrote that his town had serious concerns about the legal ability to limit access on a public way by erecting a gate.
“Larkin Road is a public way, and limiting access to pubic safety officials, even by five minutes, could cost lives,” Pacheco wrote. “The towns of Georgetown and Newbury should work cooperatively to find ways to limit unnecessary traffic without having to put in place barriers that would also impact the ability to provide maintenance such as snow/ice removal, and road maintenance beyond just the public safety services.”
When reached Monday, Pacheco said his office did not have any additional comment.
“The town of Georgetown has made its feelings clear through various written correspondence and the previous subdivision approval,” Pacheco said.
Greco declined to comment on the matter as well. But Greco said she expects enough residents, including elected officials, town employees and Larkin Road supporters, will show up at the Special Town Meeting to reach a quorum (40 residents).
Londergan also said he believed enough residents would attend the meeting to ensure the vote takes place.
“I think we’re optimistic about turnout,” Londergan said.
Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.
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