For the full wording of the Article, see this link: Link to the Warrant as Amended following Deliberative Session
What it means: A group of homeowners who live on Ice House Lane and who have been maintaining it as required by the permitting process and as agreed to by the developer, now request that the Town assume ownership of the roads and maintenance responsibility. The process of transferring the roads will be at no cost to the Town.
Those in favor say: The people who live in the homes on this street indicate that they pay the same taxes as everyone else, but do not receive services such as road maintenance, plowing, trash, recycling, etc. One speaker said that it should be considered a public roadway, since the public used it to access the fish houses prior to the development, and thus the road should be treated as an exception.
Those Opposed say: This Article would add to the demand on Town services, and could potentially be an additional infrastructure cost if road defects are discovered, since the Town would be accepting the roads on an “as is” basis. The road is dedicated to 8 homes, and was allowed by the Town with the understanding that the Developer or the Homeowner’s Association would maintain the street as a Private Way, a fact that is in the Condominium Documents, and should have been understood by the homeowners before they purchased.
Fiscal impact: There is no direct tax impact, but would add to services required by the Town, and could potentially be a cost if work is needed under the roads, which were built privately and thus outside of the Town’s specifications.