The town crew will start work Monday on the stretch of sidewalk in the village center between the Icebox Café and the post office. The work may require removal of a tree near the post office and residents are already objecting.
Tree warden Matt Klimkoski marked the tree and posted a notice about its removal. Residents had 10 days from the August 4 posting to register complaints with the warden. Per state statute, a public hearing is required if objections are raised.
A public hearing has been set for Thursday, August 20, at 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall. “I just hope we will be able to get everyone into the upstairs meeting room and don’t end up out in the parking lot,” said the selectmen’s administrative assistant Barbara Gomez.
“We will have to see what happens with the sidewalk,” First Selectmen Henry Tirrell said. “The concern is that when we excavate for the sidewalk, the tree’s roots will be damaged. It’s a pretty sizeable tree and its roots are also growing toward the [utility lines].”
He added that if the tree is removed, the tree warden will choose a suitable native species of tree to replace it.
The sidewalk construction will probably continue throughout next week and possibly into the following one, depending on the weather.