Memo 1
DRAFT
The following memorandum of understanding came about because the Town of New Ashford was seeking a solution to Sugarloaf Trailhead parking on Ingraham Road.
Last year, with a grant from EOEA, the town created a small parking area off of the Bauer Road of the eastern end of the Sugarloaf Trail. The western end of the Sugarloaf Trail ends in Ingraham Road directly across from the driveway of Piotr (Peter) Masiakowski.
Hikers and hunters have used Mr. Masiakowski driveway for a turnaround and have even parked there. The town posted NO PARKING signs there. The signs disappeared.
Piotr Peter has offered to donate a small parcel of his land to the New Ashford Conservation Commission for the purpose of parking. The gift parcel is approximately 80 feet along Ingraham Road and 60 feet in depth. Exact measurements to be determined by a surveyor paid by the town using EOEA grant money. The actual parking area, will be 60 feet by 20 feet, which if you use 10 feet x20 feet, for the size of a parking space, room for six cars. The town will use the grant money to construct the parking area which will have a gravel or crushed stone surface. It will NOT be paved. Boulders will be spaced along the permitted area once the parking area is usable.
We have discussed the following issues and they should be addressed more specifically:
1. Parking area will be snow plowed in winter
2. Picnic table on grassy area next to parking space
3. Trail cameras
4. No littering signs, marking of the border
5. Marked, grassy path from the parking to the trailhead
The town will post signs designating public parking at 3 different locations. Two signs will be posted on the west side of Ingraham Road and the third site across from the Raney landfill site. Distance from Ronnie's Mail order entrance to first parking area on west side approximately 0.2 mile. The distance to the second sign on the east side will be 0.9 miles from the Ronnie's entrance. The distance to the NEW parking area on the west side of Ingraham Road is 1.1 miles from Ronnie's entrance. The town with signage, will prohibit parking along Ingraham Road as off street parking has now been provided.
To assure compliance, the Town will arrange for towing away improperly parked vehicles.
To save on expenses, the town will reclaim material that has built up through the last 100 years of road maintenance to use as fill to bring the parking area up to grade.
The material to be used as fill will come mainly from the berms created by overly aggressive road grading and plowing. Since it’s mostly loose soil, the Town will use the concrete blocks no longer used to close the road in winter to stabilize the parking area, and also will move the gate.
Being mostly a dirt road and to protect the structure of the road, the Selectboard will consider posting a weight limit for trucks and other measures such as placing a DEAD END road sign after Kelly Ln.
# # #
The draft of the memorandum on Ingraham Rd parking, presented by Mark on March 18, was discussed at the Select Board meeting. In green are the comments I have earlier submitted.
