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TOWN AND COUNTY ROADS and RIGHT-OF-WAY COMMITTEE
Annual Report FY2006
Allen B. Reinhard, Chairman
Charles Sayle III, Vice Chairman
John Stackpole, Secretary
Nat Lowell
Sylvie O'Donnell
Donald Visco
Harvey Young
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The Town and County Roads and Right-of-Way Committee evolved in 19934tom
two committees, the Proprietors Roads Committee and the Right-of-Way .J:,;.
Committee. Our mission is to review and make recommendations to the Board
of Selectmen or County Commissioners regarding any and all issues concerning
public and private roads, right-of-ways, abutter's ways and public ways. Town
officials, community members or other boards and commissions, bring issues to
our attention.
In November 2005, our committee reorganized with new officers as three
vacancies had been created in the spring. Since November, the committee has
updated the priority road takings list and had it endorsed by the County
Commissioners. We also completed the taking of Indian Avenue (also known as
Steps Beach) from Lincoln Circle to the mean low water line. The stairs to
"Steps Beach" is now a public way. We also submitted petitions and plans for
takings of Washing Pond Road from Cliff Road to the mean low water line next to
Capaum Pond, and submitted a petition and plans for taking of roads in Madaket
including Tennessee Avenue and other streets including a portion of K Street
which accesses public property on Hither Creek.
Access to the Old Settlers Burial Ground off Cliff Road has been an on going
project for the past several years. The twenty-foot way across the former
Bigelow property on Cliff Road is now the only legal access to this important
historic site. The Roads and Right-of-Way Committee has been working with the
new owner of the property containing the way, the Anglers Club and the Land
Bank, abutting property owners, and the Nantucket Historical Association to
secure a permanent defined way to access to this site.
The committee also recommended that the County Commissioners and the DPW
clear blockages from public ways on West Chester Street from Crooked Lane to
Wannacomet Avenue, on Crooked Lane from Madaket Road to Dukes Road, and
on Cathcart Road leading to Land Bank property on Nantucket Harbor. These
ways were cleared by the DPW this spring.
The committee inquired of the Planning Board the status of takings of ways to the
beach at Surfside and will see if an agreement can be reached with the so called
Roads & ROW p. 2
"Surfside Six" property owners by fall of 2006. We also discussed Chapter 91
waterway licenses issued on Nantucket and whether public access of these
projects has been complied with. The committee considered establishing a web
site containing information and links relating to road and right-of-way issues.
Other issues considered by the committee included: Miller Lane, a six acre Town
owned property between Old South Road and the airport, Amelia Drive, Youngs
Way and Ticcoma Way, Sesachacha Pond Road, Wauwinet Road, and Spruce
Street next to Marine Home Center. The situation at Bacus Lane near the ice
rink and First Way was also considered with a recommendation that a traffic
study be conducted looking a traffic safety and flow through this area.
The Roads and Right-of-Way Committee began work on a Right of Way
Improvement Plan to be presented to Town Officials in the winter of 2006. This
plan should clarify which roads are public and which are private, the location of
public ways to the water, and give a summary of how our roads and system of
rights-of-way came about on Nantucket, and the public's rights and
responsibilities regarding their use. Also included will be a plan for a system of
walking paths linking public property throughout the island and other
recommendations for improving the public's right to access beaches, ponds,
moors, plains and other lands of Nantucket County.
Allen B. Reinhard, Chairman
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