By Virginia Dean, Standard Correspondent
BRIDGEWATER — There will be a site visit for a project filed by Markowski Excavating of Florence, to expand a pre-existing 23-acre rock quarry onto an additional 38-acre parcel.
The parcel would be acquired from the state of Vermont and approval for existing expanded quarry operation. The project is located at 9232 Vermont Route 100 in Plymouth and will be evaluated by the Environmental Commission in accordance with state law.
The site visit is scheduled for April 4 at 9:30 a.m. A public hearing will be held immediately after the site visit at the Plymouth Town Hall. Commissioners participating include Tim Taylor, Linda Gray and Clotilde Hryshko.
In other news, select board members were informed Tuesday afternoon that Road Foreman Randy Kennedy and crew are doing some grading because of the recent dry weather.
Kennedy also met with local contractors on site to review bid specifications for two road projects including bank stabilization on Little Sherburne Road and road widening on Cox District Road.
The bids are designed to submit to the state of Vermont for a Better Back Roads grant. The BBR supports projects on town roads that improve the water quality and result in maintenance cost savings.
Program support is jointly provided by the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
The goal of the BBR is to promote the use of erosion control and maintenance techniques that save money while protecting and enhancing Vermont’s lakes and streams. Funds, subject to availability, are distributed as small grants to municipalities to address town erosion problems.
The Little Sherburne Road project entails the installation of a 3-by-4 foot rip-rap wall to be keyed in at the bottom of a stream bed, rising up 4-6 feet with flat-faced stones, Kennedy said. The remaining slope would be rip-rapped with 2-3 feet of material up to the road shoulder. The road would be fixed with gravel, and seed and mulch placed in all work areas. The project area is approximately 120 feet in length. A stream bank permit must be secured by the town in advance of the job start.
In order to widen the Cox District Road, trees must be cut down in the project area that is approximately 320 feet in length. All brush would be chipped and stumps removed. All firewood and timber goes to the landowner. The slope bank would be dug back to but not including the stonewall. A stone-lined ditch would be installed using 1 foot minus material. Gravel would be placed on the road in the area, and seed and mulch placed in all work areas.
Select board members were presented with six sealed bids with the required paperwork of proof of insurance and workmen’s compensation in addition to a bid sheet with a cost breakdown from local contractors from which Martin Excavating was chosen at Tuesday’s meeting.
The bid will be submitted to the state as part of the grant application that is due April 15. Results will be returned in the late spring or early summer, Kennedy said.
The town’s annual Local Emergency Plan renewal/update is currently being reviewed by Emergency Management Coordinator Josh Maxham who will make minor additions and deletions to the document before submitting it to Two Rivers Ottauquechee Planning Commission for its perusal within the next two weeks. The document will then be returned to board members for their signatures before being sent back to the state.
Calendar events include dog license registration on or before this Friday, April 1. Although the office will be closed, Town Clerk Nancy Robinson will accept timely registrations on Monday, April 4 up to 4 p.m. Taxes and Homestead Declaration must be filed on April 15.
The next select board meetings are slated for April 12 and April 26.