WHITINGHAM- Selectboard members reconvened a hearing on the discontinuance of a section of Aldrich Road.

The road, off McMillan Road, connects to a Halifax road also named Aldrich Road, but it has been unused and unmaintained for so long, many Whitingham town officials and local residents were not aware that it was a public road. At a hearing on November 4, Whitingham Road Commissioner Stan Janovsky said he hadn’t realized that it might be a road until the issue of discontinuance was raised. Whitingham resident Reg Maynard said he hadn’t come across any record of a road or trail at the location during his work on the ancient roads committee.

But surveyor Malcolm Moore, working on behalf of property owners Jane Kuhn and her son John Kuhn, said he had surveyed the road and property and had identified the road matching the layout of a road in 1904. Kuhn, who objects to the discontinuance, said that when her father bought the property in 1963, the road was still in use.

Kuhn has applied to the zoning board of adjustment seeking to subdivide an 88-acre parcel of land. If Aldrich Road were to be discontinued, the property could only be accessed from Halifax, she said.

But two neighbors with property abutting Aldrich Road say they’re in favor of discontinuing the road that, according to their deeds, no longer exists. Mike Russell said he purchased his property without any indication of a road running through it. He said a road on his property would infringe on his privacy and reduce the value of his property. Another property owner, Barbara Crandall, echoed Russell’s sentiments.

But Kuhn’s attorney, Robin Stern, introduced evidence and testimony that the road had been cared for by the town over the years. According to town records, she said, the road is a class IV road that had never been discontinued.

The November hearing was adjourned until the Halifax Selectboard could be contacted regarding the impact the discontinuance might have on Halifax residents. At Wednesday evening’s meeting, Halifax Selectboard Chair John Laflamme said the board opposed the move to discontinue the road. “The Halifax Selectboard, unanimously, and the residents and property owners (we) heard from, all have the same opinion,” Laflamme said, “that discontinuing a portion of Aldrich Road would be a bad decision.”

Laflamme offered a list of reasons for his board’s conclusion, including the road’s use as a snowmobile trail, access for the town of Whitingham to property in the town, and Halifax’s desire not to be responsible for providing access to Whitingham property. “Our recommendation would be to leave all of Aldrich Road a class IV road,” he said.

Stern said that the Kuhns weren’t unsympathetic to the concerns of neighbors, but she noted that while Russell says having a road on his property would devalue it, for the Kuhns, not having the road devalues their property. “We’re still opposing the discontinuance, but we’re hoping we can have some discussion with the neighbors that would be beneficial for the future,” she said, noting that an offer had already been made to Crandall. Crandall’s attorney, Lance Shader, said she was “seriously considering” a purchase offer made by Kuhn, but wanted to confer with Russell to ensure that her move wouldn’t jeopardize their position. “But we’re still in favor of the discontinuance,” he said.

Whitingham Attorney Bob Fisher told the board that they could close the hearing, after which a written decision would be due within 60 days. Noting the neighbors’ willingness to discuss the matter, Fisher said he was hopeful that “good progress” could be made “so everyone will be happy and the town won’t have to come up with that decision.”

But when Stern noted that Kuhn and her family had been paying taxes for over 40 years and “never used any services,” Russell shot back that his family had been paying taxes in Whitingham since the 1700s. “We’ve been here since day one,” he said.

“Well, blood lines and who paid taxes are not criteria the board can use in their decision,” said Fisher, before the board closed the hearing.

In other discussions, Janovsky told board members he had received a check for more than $135,500 in state highway aid for work on Route 8A.

“Do you think it will bounce?” quipped board member Keith Bronson, referring to the state’s budget crisis. “I don’t know,” Janovsky said. “It’s signed by Mickey Mouse.”

Janovsky also asked board members to approve the partial closure of Sadawga Lake Road from its intersection with Town Hill Road to Kentfield Road on January 22 and 23. The road will be open to one-way traffic only. Janovsky said the Whitingham Firefighters Association was sponsoring a fishing derby that will run from 12:01 am to 4 pm on January 23, and the selectboard’s action would allow parking on one side of the road and keep the boat launch area open for loading and unloading, and emergency vehicles.

Janovsky said the lake won’t be stocked for the one-day event, and anglers will compete for $400, $200, and $100 prizes for the top three fish in two categories: perch and pickerel.