ATHOL — Athol’s Board of Planning and Community Development got its first look at a proposal from the 25 Sportsmen Club that the town abandon the portion of Thrower Road leading to the club’s property. Club secretary Andy Sujdak and treasurer Mark LeBlanc were on hand to advocate on behalf of the proposition.
“We’ve owned the property since ’72,” said Sujdak, who also sits on the town’s selectboard. “We got permission to gate it in ’73, the gate was put up in ’73. Since ’73, the town has not plowed, repaired, trimmed brush, cleaned up trash or done anything else; we’ve taken care of it since 1973.
“We’ve had a rash of vandalism to the road in the last couple of years from ATVs, dirt bikes, etcetera. We spent closed to $3,000 in spring repairs, patching all this because of the erosion problems and so forth, getting decent binder down there to try and hold it all together. Then they come right in and destroy it afterwards.”
Sujdak then outlined the club’s intentions.
“We’re requesting it be abandoned so we can somehow guardrail-off the sides to keep them from coming in and destroying our property. We’re having erosion problems — we’re having all kinds of problems because of the constant destruction of this road.”
“That’s a common problem throughout South Athol,” said board Chair David Small.
Board member Marc Morgan then asked how the club planned to close off the club’s portion of the road.
“It’s tree-lined on both sides,” Sujdak replied. “In the past, we’ve dropped trees. They just get moved. So, we’re talking about probably some guidewire-type cables, like the old-style guardrails. They’ll be all flagged and marked so everybody’s safe.”
Maps indicate the stretch of Thrower Road in question extends all the way to White Pond Road. However, Sujdak pointed out, the road between the clubhouse and White Pond Road is completely grown over with trees and other vegetation.
Board member Rick Hayden asked if other property owners with parcels located on the section of road proposed for abandonment had been notified of the club’s request.
Athol Planning and Development Director Eric Smith explained that the issue was brought before the board due to a requirement that it be notified within 45 days of the fall Town Meeting of the Selectboard’s intention to move ahead with abandonment. The PBCD will make a recommendation on any article calling for abandonment if and when such an article is placed on the warrant.
“Right now, no one knows if this is even on the Town Meeting warrant yet,” said Smith, “because the warrant hasn’t been finalized and the Selectmen haven’t had a meeting to decide what should be on the warrant yet.
“So, in October, your Planning Board meeting will be for making all the recommendations for the Oct. 18 Town Meeting. That’s when you’ll make your recommendations. This is kind of advisory for you guys. This is just being referred to you right now.
“But I haven’t had time to contact the abutters, nor, really, is it in my purview to do so. It would be the Board of Selectmen’s purview.”
“So,” Small explained to his fellow board members, “we’re not going to vote on this at this time. We’re going to vote on it when we vote on the warrant. I think we could make a recommendation, at this point, to ensure that all the abutters are notified and that there’s good communication between the proponents of the discontinuance and all the abutters. And that should all really come out at the Selectboard’s meeting.
“We’ll then get it back again as a warrant article and then we’ll recommend or not recommend at that point. So, we’ve been notified and we’re aware of it.”
Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com