Why does Bristol now have interest in road that goes nowhere?

To The Daily Sun,

We are Bristol property owners and taxpayers who own a log cabin at the end of Hemlock Brook Road. For years, the 1,200-foot section of that road leading up to our property, which we will refer to as “Hemlock Brook Road Extension,” has been shown as a private road on Bristol’s tax maps. It was treated as private. That changed in 2015, when the town did an about face and started treating the road as public. Without getting into details, we believe this is a classic case of “small town politics.”

 For more than a year, we have been trying to resolve our dispute with the town in court. In fact, the case was scheduled for a trial this December, with a final decision expected soon afterwards. We were confident in our case and confident the court would declare the road to be private. On the eve of trial, a Bristol selectman filed a petition requesting the town take the disputed road by eminent domain. The case is now on hold as a result.

 Hemlock Brook Road Extension is a dead-end road; it is the only access to two residences in a quiet corner of town on the Bridgewater line. Instead of awaiting the court’s decision on the status of the road, the town has instead started a new, separate legal process that could last years.

 Why was the town unwilling to await the court’s decision? Why is the town so interested in a road that leads nowhere? How much has the town spent on this matter in legal and expert witness fees? What important town matters are being neglected while the town continues to focus on this? Most importantly, why is the town spending our precious resources to wage a meaningless war that will not benefit the town, its citizens, or its taxpayers in the slightest?

 A public hearing on the petition will soon be held. We intend to ask the town these questions, and invite interested citizens to attend and do likewise.

Joseph & Rhoda Fantasia

Bristol