Gilford gravel pit operator: Belmont weight limit a heavy burden

BELMONT — The pending sale of a gravel pit in Gilford whose only access is along Durrell Mountain Road in Belmont has prompted Belmont selectmen to take a closer look at the impact on the road, but their decision to post a 35,000-pound weight limit has the pit owner crying foul.

Howard Warren, who has operated the gravel pit as Andrew P. Sanborn Farm LLC since 2003, said the weight limit essentially closes the pit down, as it is no longer economically viable to truck away the gravel. He said an empty truck weighs 25,000 pounds, so the 35,000-pound limit allows the truck to haul just 3 cubic yards of gravel, about one-fifth of what the truck could carry.

Thomas Selling, of T.R. Selling Engineering in Laconia, supported Warren’s case in a report about the condition of Durrell Mountain Road he presented to Belmont selectmen Monday night. He concluded that the gravel trucks caused less damage than the logging trucks that use a portion of the same road serve Caldwell’s Firewood, operated by former Selectman Reggie Caldwell.

Two businesses — Caldwell’s Firewood and Jason Druin Custom Homes — asked for waivers on the weight limit. Town Administrator Jeanne Beaudin said the firewood business generates only a couple of truckloads per month, while road wear from the home construction business would be limited to only about 100 feet of Durrell Mountain Road.

Selling’s study found there were deeper ruts on the inbound lane leading to Caldwell’s property than on the outbound lane, which the loaded gravel trucks travel. He said a full load of logs will weigh 99,000 pounds, while a loaded gravel truck weighs 75,000 pounds.

His technical report also discussed how the number of wheels on a truck affects the weight distribution, arguing that the gravel trucks cause less damage to the roads because they spread the weight out.

Beaudin says the pending sale of the gravel pit is likely to increase the number of loads per day, which is a concern for the residential properties along Durrell Mountain Road. Warren also operates a gravel pit on Hurricane Road, but Beaudin said that road already gets a lot of truck traffic. She also noted there are a lot of tandem trucks hauling gravel, increasing the weight of the loads.

Warren said he anticipates a mixture of truck traffic from his Gilford pit, including from tandem trucks.

The town has engaged an engineering firm that took test borings last week to determine the condition of Durrell Mountain Road and make a recommendation on a road bond to cover damage to the road.

Attorney William Philpot Jr., representing Warren, told the selectmen that a road bond is not intended to cover the cost of rebuilding a road, but only to bring the road back to its condition prior to any damage from heavy trucks. Selling had recommended a $20,000 bond as being sufficient to restore the road.

“We’ve developed a baseline through Tom Selling’s report,” Philpot said. “Going forward, we’ve established the justification for reasonable bonding. It’s not as if we’re groping with the facts to make a determination here; we have empirical evidence … a bond of $20,000 is a reasonable request.”

Ruth Mooney, chairwoman of the Belmont Board of Selectmen, said, “It’s only fair to give us a chance to read your report and hear from our engineers before making a decision.”

Mooney also noted that Gilford gets the tax revenue from the gravel pit and Belmont has no control over it. Beaudin said the town had asked Gilford’s Planning Board to reopen the site permit for the pit to give Belmont a chance to voice its concerns about truck traffic, but the Gilford board declined the request.

Warren downplayed concerns about the tax impact, saying he paid $450 for all the gravel he hauled from his pit on Hurricane Road.

“The tax is nothing,” he said.

To contact Tom Caldwell, email tom@laconiadailysun.com.

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This story has been updated to correct a business name.