Members of the Council on Aging & Community Trail Coalition,
In 2022, the Selectmen, in association with the Forestry Committee, presented and subsequently supported warrant articles that would change portions of Spaulding Hill Road and Tower Hill Road from Class VI Roads to Class A Trails. These warrant articles later passed, by town vote, with a 71% acceptance rate. No one lives on these gravel woods roads.
Class VI Roads are unmaintained town roads that must stay open to full size motor vehicles. Class A Trails can be managed to prevent motor vehicle access. The reason for changing the designation of these roads, in 2022, was because full size motor vehicles – trucks, jeeps and 4-wheel drive vehicles – were riding the roads and then driving onto walking trails in the conservation areas that abut these roads. When the Class VI roads were open to motor vehicle traffic, individuals were caught having fires, target shooting and at one point starting a 30+ acre forest fire which destroyed a fire truck and required numerous surrounding towns to respond, costing taxpayers of the entire region, money.
2024 Articles 12 and 13 are citizen petitions that would reverse the Class A designation of these roads back to Class VI roads (an exact reversal of the passing warrant articles from 2022). These citizen petition warrant articles are not supported by the Selectmen or Forestry Committee.
The Council on Aging seeks to highlight these articles to raise awareness of the Council’s ongoing efforts. Currently, the Council is investing time and resources into making numerous trails in Pelham accessible to individuals of all ages and abilities. The outcome of these new warrant articles on the 2024 ballot could impact allocation of funds and efforts across town.
A NO Vote will result in these trails continuing to be classified as Class A Trails, which motor vehicles cannot drive on. Protective gates and locks will stay in place. All abutting private land owners have legal access to their property, as they did previously, through the use of keys or codes for said gates. There are only five privately owned parcels on these roads.
A YES Vote will result in these trails being turned back to Class VI Roads allowing motor vehicles to drive on the trails once again. Protective gates and locks will be removed.
Please vote on March 12th. Your vote counts.
Thank you.
Pelham Community Trails Coalition Committee, Sponsored by the Council on Aging