FALMOUTH — Dodging potholes should soon be just an unpleasant memory for drivers who travel Falmouth Road, because the town will begin repairing and repaving the road at the end of May.
“It’s a state project from 10 years ago that we’re taking over as a local project,” Parks and Public Works Director Jay Reynolds said. “They’ve said there isn’t any funding at state level for this project. Due to condition of the road, we decided to take over.”
This year, the town plans to spend approximately $750,000 to repair the section of road between Merrill Road and Blueberry Lane, which Reynolds said is the most damaged section. The remaining portion up to the intersection with Middle Road is schedule to be repaired next year.
The Portland Water District will also be moving some of its mains and fire hydrants, which will extend the length of time the project will take.
In addition to repairing the road, the town has also proposed extending the sewer line at the same time. The extended line would reach 14 more homes and cost approximately $430,000. The town recently sent letters to the affected property owners, outlining two choices for funding the potential project.
The first choice is for the residents to petition the Town Council to extend the sewer. If the council approves the extension, the town would pay the construction costs.
The second option is for the homeowners to share the cost, so each homeowner would pay a little more than $30,000 to connect to the town sewer line.
“We’ve heard from a little less than half (of affected homeowners),” Town Engineer Jon Earle said. “It’s been more nos than yeses so far — $30,000 a property is pretty expensive in terms of replacing your on-site septic.”
Homeowners would only be expected to pay for the extension if at least 75 percent of them agree to the plan. Those who did not agree could keep their existing septic systems, but would have to pay the $30,000 connection fee if they later decided to join.
A public meeting will be held March 22 at 6 p.m. at Town Hall to discuss the sewer extension and the road construction.
Emily Parkhurst can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 125 or eparkhurst@theforecaster.net
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.