Northfield to Franklin: We don't want your detours

NORTHFIELD — Police Chief John Raffaelly told the selectboard that Franklin’s failure to coordinate with his department when diverting traffic from Central Street during the New Year’s Day kayak runs meant that, while an emergency vehicle “probably could get through [on Cross Mill Road], they’d probably own a couple of cars also.”

It was not the first time that Franklin has rerouted traffic during events promoting recreation on the Winnipesaukee River. The city closes the state highway and diverts eastbound traffic up Pleasant Street to Hodgdon Road and Cross Mill Road. At the same time, kayakers making the chilly New Year’s run or participating in other water events during the year park their vehicles and enter the river at Cross Mill Road, which can create congestion at the bridge.

The New Year’s Day Winnipesaukee River Run marked its 39th year as an event sponsored by Merrimack Valley Paddlers, and the development of Mill City Park in Franklin is promoting the river’s history as well as establishing stationary features that enhance the opportunities for whitewater recreation. The river boasts Class III rapids for about 1 1/4 miles between Cross Mill and downtown Franklin.

Selectboard Chair Mark Hubbell said he has no problem with Franklin and the organizers “doing something for their city and making it better.”

“But when they come into the town of Northfield and detour traffic without our knowledge, without our consent ... you only had the coverage that you normally would have on that day. If there was a crash from all that traffic going down Cross Mill and Hodgdon, that officer would have been tied up for probably a couple hours. If a domestic came in, what would you have had to do? Call in another officer, right? Then that would have cost the town money.”

He continued, “If there was a crash with injury, that’s going to be Tilton-Northfield Fire Department, not Franklin Fire Department, responding to that. On top of that, we just paved those two roads. The roads are town roads; they’re not built to state spec. They are not built to withstand the traffic that a state road like Route 3, Route 11 deals with. So the money that we just put in, all the taxpayers put into those roads, those roads are going to break down in half the time if this keeps on happening.”

What was particularly upsetting to Northfield officials was that the town had previously contacted Franklin about the detours, asking them to notify the police and make arrangements for traffic details when such events are taking place.

“So there’s obviously a breakdown in communications,” Hubbell said.

Raffaelly said there is no reason the city could not detour all of the vehicles to Bow Street and keep the traffic within Franklin. The city has routed westbound traffic onto Bow Street, but Raffaelly pointed out that it is a two-way street which he said could accommodate vehicles traveling in both directions.

Hubbell said if Franklin officials want to use Cross Mill Road, they should schedule a police detail to direct the traffic.

To avoid problems in the future, the selectboard asked Town Administrator Ken Robichaud to meet with Franklin City Manager Judie Milner and work out a plan for notification.

The selectboard also discussed the need to expand the parking area at Cross Mill Road as Mill City Park begins to attract additional people. The whitewater park is likely to provide economic benefits to Northfield as well as Franklin, but it also can mean additional expenses.

“There is nobody here that is against Franklin doing whatever they want,” Hubbell said, “but it can’t be at our expense.”