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Last November, Town Administrator Carter Terenzini presented the Route 25 corridor study results to the Board of Selectmen. This was at the same meeting that Stewart Lamprey made his presentation about Fox Hollow. Mr. Lamprey stated that Fox Hollow had been identified by the DOT and the Lakes Region Planning Board as the most dangerous intersection, with 27 accidents and 2 fatalities within 1000 feet of the intersection.

Karel Crawford made the statement, ‘I don’t feel the commissioner should dedicate to one part of the road (Rt 25). We have to represent the town of Moultonboro, and we have to represent the entire town, and others on the other intersection. I feel that because politically, because someone knew someone, though he has every right to do so, it feels wrong for the DOT to pick one road because Mr. Lamprey lives on Fox Hollow Road.’ This is quoted from The Meredith News, November 20, 2008.

 It was decided after much discussions over several weeks, that Fox Hollow would be moved to the top of the list of intersections to address. There have been several engineering firms out at the site of Fox Hollow and Route 25 studying the area and planning how to “fix” the intersection. The town is in the process of hiring a Town Planner to work with the recently hired engineering firm of KV Partners, LLC.

The planning was going along rather smoothly until late in the afternoon of Tuesday June 2, 2009 when there was a serious accident on Route 25 by the intersection of Sheridan Road. This prompted Moultonboro resident Shirley Oliver, to bring a petition signed by 35 or so residents to the Board of Selectmen, asking them to revisit the Route 25 corridor study. The Board accepted the petition and stated that they would present it to the DOT. Another citizen reported that this was the 4^th accident to occur at the intersection in 2009.

It would seem that the corridor study was spot on. One only has to travel on Route 25 west on an icy, snowy day to understand why Sheridan Road is considered to be quite dangerous.

We hope that the Board of Selectmen will be successful in their efforts to convince the DOT that Sheridan Road is in fact a higher priority than Fox Hollow and should be addressed sooner than later. …And no one stands to gain financially from improving Sheridan Road.

“I don’t feel the commissioner should dedicate to one part of the road (Rt. 25). We have to represent the town of Moultonboro, and we have to represent the entire town, and others on the other intersection. I feel that because politically, because someone knew someone, though he has every right to do so, it feels wrong for the DOT to pick one road because Mr. Lamprey lives on Fox Hollow Road.”  Karel Crawford, Chair, Moultonboro Board of Selectmen

The Meredith News  November 20, 2008

SARAH SCHMIDT

SSCHMIDT@SALMONPRESS.COM

MOULTONBORO — With a few reservations, the Moultonboro Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to move the Fox Hollow Road project to the top of the list for repairs, provided that the Department of Transportation comes through with the promised two-thirds funding. The issue came up last week as Town Administrator Carter Terenzini presented the town’s findings of the Rt. 25 Intersection Design Matrix, and Fox Hollow resident Stewart Lamprey urged the board to trust in the DOT’s word on the road. To the dismay of some, the Fox Hollow Road intersection scored sixth on the list in accident history and cost, and therefore in priority. The Rt. 25 intersection most in need of work was determined to be Redding Lane, near the Robbs Citgo, followed by Sheridan Road, Lake Shore east, Lake Shore west, Glidden Road, Fox Hollow Road, and Saw Mill Road. Lamprey disagreed with these findings, and asked the selectmen to put Fox Hollow at the top of the list during that meeting. In terms of improving the sight lines on the intersection, Lamprey said that he had worked as an unpaid assistant to help a state “department with some problems.” While doing the work, Lamprey said, he spoke with Department of Transportation Commissioner George Campbell about the problem, who agreed.....

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"I think it's a great idea myself, having worked with DOT myself on our Kelsea Avenue project. I do think that this is an opportunity to try to address the basic procedures on working with the state on projects like this." Center Harbor Selectman Charley Hanson

By ERIN PLUMMER
eplummer@citizen.com

The Citizen Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Community representatives from around the state will share concerns and open communication with the Department of Transportation as part of a transportation advisory committee.
A committee of 14 representatives from organizations and municipalities around New Hampshire met for the first time with DOT officials last week.
The committee was a result of contact between DOT Commissioner George Campbell and the Local Government Center regarding communication between municipalities and the state on transportation issues. The discussion came amid concerns over budget shortfalls and the need to repair infrastructure.
The committee will provide input to the DOT on transportation needs in each area and resolve communication issues.
"Its really mainly a communication thing and to advise the commission on the upcoming issues that DOT already is (encountering)," said committee member and Center Harbor Selectman Charley Hanson. "I think it's a great idea myself, having worked with DOT myself on our Kelsea Avenue project. I do think that this is an opportunity to try to address the basic procedures on working with the state on projects like this."
Center Harbor has had extensive talks with the DOT regarding severe drainage issues on Kelsea Avenue and Kelly Court, where residents and town officials have previously expressed frustration with communication delays with the state. The town has also worked with the DOT on High Haith Bridge, a small bridge on the state's red list.

Hanson and Franklin City Manager Elizabeth Corrow are the members of the 14-member committee from the Lakes Region. Also on the committee are Mayor Donnalee Lozeau of Nashua; Assistant City Manager William Prokop of Keene; City Councilor Sandra Keans of Rochester; Town Managers Glenn English of Haverhill and Julia Griffin of Hanover; Public Works Directors Chris Temple from Claremont, Carl Quiram from Goffstown, Edward Roberge from Concord, and Jennifer Perry from Exeter; Finance Director Dana Call of Windham; Cliff Sinnott of the Rockingham Planning Commission, and Lewis Feldstein, president of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

"It's really cutting across all swatches of the state," Hanson said. "I think it's a pretty good cross section of people."

The committee's first meeting was last Friday and, according to Hanson, lasted for two-and-a-half hours with committee members talking about issues in their communities.
The advisory group will meet around three times a year and the agenda will be open, allowing committee members to discuss any issues that come up.
"Hopefully it will be an opportunity to provide input so the level of frustration on both sides can be greatly reduced so things work well," Hanson said.

The Citizen

By ERIN PLUMMER
eplummer@citizen.com

November 8, 2008

MOULTONBOROUGH - Possible state funding to repair a troublesome Moultonborough intersection is being seen as an ideal opportunity by some residents and officials. Other officials, however, say other intersections are of greater priority and the state money is not necessarily guaranteed.

Town Administrator Carter Terenzini presented the findings of a design matrix for intersections on Route 25 during Thursday's selectmen's meeting.

Terenzini was a facilitator of a scoring team that included other town residents and officials along with engineer Robert Saunders and planner Mike Izard of the Lakes Region Planning Commission, analyzing intersections in the corridor and assigning scores for priority based on a series of criteria.

The factors included project cost, number of recorded accidents at each intersection, traffic volume, technical issues, and bonus considerations. Each intersection received a score based on each factor which were tallied up to determine priority.

Analysis of intersections went from the intersection of Route 109 to the Center Harbor town line.

According to the report, Redding Lane at Rob's Citgo Station was the top priority. Sheridan Lane was second, the east end of Lake Shore Drive was third, and the western end of Lake Shore Drive was fourth. Glidden Road was rated fifth with Fox Hollow Road sixth and Sawmill Drive seventh.

Residents of Fox Hollow Road formed a steering committee to determine possible options to improve the intersection, which residents say has a sharp curve and a hill at Route 25 that cuts off the line of sight and affects stopping distance.

Fox Hollow resident George Proctor said members of the steering committee were not aware of the matrix scoring.

"I'm astonished at the rating of Fox Hollow at the bottom of the list," Proctor said, citing accidents that have occurred at the intersection, including a double fatality.

Steering committee member Stewart Lamprey noted studies by the Lakes Region Planning Commission, the N.H. Department of Transportation, and the University of New Hampshire, all citing the intersection as a top priority due to the number of accidents and other safety issues.

Members of the steering committee have met with the selectmen, engineers, and DOT officials to discuss possible improvements, which have included approaching the state about getting an alternate right of way through an old salt shed owned by the Department of Transportation.

Lamprey said he, other members of the committee, and some members of the planning board had a meeting with DOT Commissioner George Campbell regarding the salt shed property. According to Lamprey, Campbell said the property in question would likely not be available for a right of way. However, the state would be willing to make two-thirds of the funds needed for the project available for improvements next spring if the town came up with the remaining third.

Lamprey calculated that the town would have to provide around $94,500 in the next budget for the project to be taken care of in the spring.

"We went to Concord to get a right-of-way to the salt shed and we came out with a bucket of gold from Commissioner Campbell," Lamprey said. "We might not see another window open for 20 to 30 years."

Terenzini, however, said Fox Hollow's score and ranking will remain the same, saying there have been more accidents and greater traffic volume at other intersections on the list.

"We're not saying that Fox Hollow in and of itself is not a dangerous intersection," Terenzini said. "We are putting it in terms of priority."

Terenzini said he and the selectmen had received a letter from Campbell. "With all due respect, we simply don't believe for budget planning purposes those dollars would be there," given present circumstances with DOT funding.

Board Chair Karel Crawford said the letter "didn't say when as far as when we would see the money."

"Commissioner Campbell said he would find the money somewhere if the town was willing," said Planning Board Chair Judy Ryerson. "If the town puts in $80,000 or $90,000 and the state doesn't come through, you don't do the project. If you don't put the money in, it definitely won't get done."

Selectman Ed Charest said it would be "good savings" if the town puts in the third while the state might put forward the rest. Charest and Selectman Joel Mudgett said the final result of putting up the money might be scratching one project off the list.

"As a selectperson, I have to look at the town as a whole, not just Fox Hollow," Crawford said. "All of these other roads have a serious problem, too."

Crawford did say the option sounded better than trying to get a right-of-way at the salt shed. The board decided by consensus to table the issue for consideration at next week's meeting.

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