The town of Antrim has no plans to adopt the southern portion of Thompson’s Crossing Road as a town road, the Antrim Select Board said Monday night.
The residents of Thompson’s Crossing Road who requested the town consider reclassifying the road as a Class V road said that while they were disappointed and had hoped for a different outcome, they understood the decision.
“It is what it is,” said resident Dina Berry. “It just would have been nice to have this information ahead of time.”
Residents had hoped the town would take on maintenance of the road after improvements were made, enabling the development of three new homes behind the Platt property on Thompson’s Crossing Road.
“The original developer of the properties told us we could go to the town and petition to have the road reclassified as Class V after he did improvements to the road, so that’s why we are here,” said Nancy Silva, a resident of Thompson’s Crossing Road.
According to the Select Board and the town’s road agent, Tyler Tommila, the northern portion of Thompson’s Crossing Road is a Class V road from Route 202 to the plow turnaround located about 600 feet from Route 202. Past that point, Thompson’s Crossing is a Class VI road, as the town has not maintained the road for decades since the bridge over the Contoocook River was closed.
Select Board member Bob Edwards said that road classification is based not on road condition but on whether the town officially maintains it.
“The developer met with Tyler (Tommila), and it is in the deed recorded with Hillsborough County that the property owners will maintain the road,” Edwards said. “It is in the deed that it is a Class VI road and the town does not maintain it.”
Edwards clarified that the town’s requirements for permitting development along the road, including widening and improvements to ensure safe passage for emergency vehicles, did not “automatically qualify” the road for designation as a Class V road.
“The requirements do not change the class of the road. It is improved for 911, but that does not change the classification. I do not see how it would benefit the town to take on the cost of maintaining the road,” Edwards said.
The board said they would consult town counsel regarding some unclear wording in the maintenance agreement, which was pointed out by residents of Thompson’s Crossing Road, as the agreement refers to “all residents of Thompson’s Crossing Road,” when only the property owners on the Class VI portion of the road would be subject to the maintenance agreement.
