By Layla Burke Hastings
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — The Springfield Selectboard revisited the mask encouragement resolution and the renaming of a local street.
Selectman George McNaughton made a motion to upgrade the resolution, which encourages residents to wear a face covering to stop the spread of COVID-19, to a mask mandate. However, the motion fell flat in absence of a second to McNaughton’s stand.
The discussion continued with Chairman Walter Martone noting that cases of the novel coronavirus remain high in Springfield.
“Our case numbers are very high. I just heard on the radio the numbers are down a little bit but they still remain high,” said Martone, opening up the discussion of posting signs at the entrances into local stores.
Selectman Michael Martin asked for an update as to whether or not the local grocers association have received and displayed the town’s notices. Martone clarified that communication with grocers is still in the process.
Martone also said that the selectboard plans to submit the notice to local newspapers for publishing this week.
The selectboard also decided to notify the local grocers association about removing the signs that allow vaccinated to enter unmasked and ask unvaccinated to wear masks.
Martin said that vaccinated people can spread the virus to others so everyone should be encouraged to wear a mask.
“The mask is to prevent you from getting it but to prevent you from giving it to others,” said McNaughton about the basic masks that are not N-95 coded.
The selectboard will also require social distancing markings and directional arrows back in the local stores.
In other news, the selectboard discussed the previous approval granted in November to change Cutler Road to Lily Lane in order to comply with the State of Vermont’s Enhanced 911 requirements and to avoid confusion between Cutler Road and Cutler Drive, which has experienced emergency personnel being sent to wrong locations.
Cutler Drive is located in Springfield and Cutler Road is located in North Springfield.
Lily Lane was originally suggested by one resident in honor of her deceased grand-daughter. This was the only suggestion as she was the only resident to attend the meeting.
No other recommendations were received prior to the Nov. 20 hearing. All property owners were notified of the meeting, not once but twice, as the original notice indicated a wrong meeting date.
The selectboard has since received a petition from six of the seven residents on the road requesting that approval to change Cutler Road to Lily Lane be reconsidered and requested that the road name be changed to Slab City Road.
Officials agreed to send the Cutler Road name change back to the Planning Commission.
More than a dozen roads were recently renamed to comply with E911 requirements and to eliminate delivery and emergency response confusion.
In an interview with the Eagle Times, Renee Vondle, zoning administrator, local 911 coordinator, and director of the Town Planning & Zoning Office, said the renaming of several roads has been a long time coming.
“The town is playing catch-up with 30 years of inaccurate street naming and sequential numbering of residences,” Vondle said. “The Vermont State Enhanced 911 Board has been pushing us to get this done for decades.”
Vondle clarified the name changes from the November meeting and the renaming of one address to five different roads that was approved in September.
The selectboard has approved changing Davis Street to Hunter Street. Also changed was the elimination of Summer Hill Street where it intersects with Cherry Hill Street. Currently this section of Summer Hill Street is a run-on with Cherry
Hill Street and Highland Road. Highland Road was also eliminated. The entire road from the intersection of Summer Hill Street to the intersection of Barlow Road will be renamed to Cherry Hill. The E911 map shows it as Cherry Hill Street.
The selectboard approved dropping the word “street.” After much discussion and public participation, the planning commission recommendation was to eliminate the section of Summer Hill Street that splits off onto Woodbury Road and ends at the beginning of Summer Street.
The road beyond that marker is now Cherry Hill Street and will continue with that name until the intersection at Barlow Road.
Just beyond the Summer Hill graveyard, the street off to the right side will remain Summer Hill Street.
“We have a Johnston Street and a Johnson Road in Springfield and so we have changed the name of Johnson Road to Landia Hill Drive,” Vondle said.
Vondle also said that there are two School Streets, one in Springfield and one in North Springfield.
“We have eliminated the name School Street located between Mineral Street and Mt. Vernon Street and changed it to St. Patrick’s Street because back in the day there was St. Patrick’s Church at the corner on 80 Mt. Vernon St.,” she said.
Vondle also said there is a cluster of Birch titled streets. “We had too many ‘Birch’ streets. The street Birch Lane off of Piper Road is now Black Birch Lane,” Vondle said. “We also have a Hill Place Road, Hillcrest Road, Hill Place and Hill Top Drive.
The E911 Addressing Standards states that “there shall not be identical or similar sounding names.” Vondle noted that the planning commission recommended eliminating Hillside Road because it is poorly numbered which causes some confusion with emergency personnel. It is also a run-on road with Edgewood.
The selectboard chose to not change either Hillside or Edgewood Road.
“The problem with run-on streets is that there is not a stop sign which causes them to blend into each other so it is hard for both delivery persons and emergency personnel,” Vondle said.
Another oddity in the names of streets was finally clarified.
“The Pedden Road sign at the bottom of River Street is wrong. That is actually Lockwood Avenue,” Vondle said. “The selectboard approved changing Walnut Way to Pedden Way.”
Vondle stated that the issue with Walnut Way is that it was similar sounding to Walnut Hill Court, Walnut Hill Road, and Walnut Street.
Vondle said it is important to have public input on renaming streets.
“The selectboard loves it when people get involved.”
Elm Street in North Springfield has been renamed as an extension of Spoonerville Road.
“It made sense because one flowed into the other,” Vondle said.
Elm Hill Road is keeping its name because 90 residents live on the road.
The selectboard recently approved the following new road names: Oak Lane, Cypress Lane, Willow Lane, and Dogwood Lane.
The selectboard also approved new private road names. The E911 Address Standards state that all shared driveways of 3 or more structures must have a private road name. The following private road names were approved: A shared driveway off of Charlestown Road was named Little Paradise Road; the shared driveway located at the northern section of County Road near Route 106 was renamed Griswold Drive; the shared driveway with the addresses of 687-701 Woodbury Road was changed to Lambert Road; two driveways off of Monument Hill Road have been renamed to Monument Hill Drive and John Nourse Road; and the Evergreen Heights Complex at 10 Will Dean Road has been renamed Newell Road, where each building will be given a separate number, but the unit numbers will remain.
Vondle said an upcoming planning commission meeting will determine how to address the issue of having a number of Main Streets and a North Main Street.
Currently there are two Main Streets in North Springfield due to the elimination of the bridge which cut off the section where both KJ’s Pub and the Springfield Parent/Child Center are located. There is also Main Street in Springfield and a North Main Street in Springfield.
Vondle stated that she hopes citizens will participate and attend the meeting.
“It would be helpful to receive input from property owners as the planning commission has struggled with renaming North Main Street,” Vondle said. “There are currently no recommendations from the public.”
The Planning Commission will meet on Wednesday, Jan 5, at 6:30 p.m. to sort out the three Main Streets and North Main Street.
“It would be so helpful to have public input.” Vondle said. “It is not only a change in address, but also a change in history. Unfortunately, it has to be done.”
Vondle said she is hoping for a healthy and respectful exchange of ideas at the meeting.
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