Portable speed monitors to help with Little River Road traffic

June 8, 2022  |  By Lisa Scagliotti 

Residents along Little River Road in Waterbury got their requests for help with traffic control answered on Monday when town officials agreed to purchase more portable speed monitoring equipment.  

For the past several summers, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic began, increased activity by visitors to Little River State Park has resulted in heavier traffic along the two-lane gravel road that’s the only access to the popular campground, boating, biking and hiking destination. 

Most of the homes along the stretch are concentrated near the end of the road closest to U.S. Route 2. Residents have emailed town officials, attended select board meetings, and communicated with Vermont State Police about motorists speeding by their homes, many of which have children and pets. 

With the summer recreation season now underway, the Waterbury Select Board had the topic on its agenda Monday. It heard from two residents, Alison Scileppi and Alaina Kunkle.

“We have an amazing street,” Kunkle said. “We like that there are visitors. But it’s unsafe. I can’t even walk with my stroller.” 

Scileppi agreed. “We don’t mind the traffic. People are getting out and recreating and being healthy. But it’s dangerous. I fear something will happen. We’re trying to be proactive.” 

The discussion lasted about 30 minutes and covered a variety of suggestions to address the situation including posting more permanent speed limit and “share the road” signs. The use of a temporary speed bump was considered but Municipal Manager Bill Shepeluk said that it would be difficult to anchor on a gravel road. 

Shepeluk noted that the town has only two portable speed-monitoring signs that alert motorists to the posted limit and their speed as they approach. Having more would be useful not just on Little River Road, but on other roads in town where speed is an issue. 

Kunkle remarked that the state police have occasionally placed a temporary monitoring sign on the road with good results. “The impact we’ve seen when it [was] there was significant,” she said. 

Shepeluk estimated the cost of the units at $5,000 each, an amount he said is “not a budget-buster.” He said this year’s budget likely could accommodate purchasing three such units. The board unanimously approved the recommendation. 

Shepeluk also promised to have town highway staff check on current signs along the road to be sure they were visible and to possibly add more. Communicating with Vermont State Police about patrolling the area to do more speed enforcement was also on the list.

One longer-term suggestion that could not happen this year, Shepeluk said, might be to pave the portion of the road in the residential neighborhood. That would allow for speed bumps or a speed table to potentially be built into the road; it also would allow for striping to create narrower lanes that help slow traffic to increase safety, he said. 

That stretch of the road previously was paved and was ground to return it to a gravel road several years ago, he said. Any decisions related to paving projects would be for future years and would need to be included in the town paving plan and budget. 

Recreation planning moves ahead

The board took action on several other topics Monday night as well. 

It approved the selection of a consultant and created a steering committee for the recreation planning study that will be done to look at Hope Davey Park in Waterbury Center and the 40 acres near the Ice Center in downtown Waterbury. 

Voters on Town Meeting Day approved spending $50,000 to look at both public properties to consider future uses, attention to natural resources, etc. 

The board approved hiring the Burlington firm, the SE Group, to do the assessment and produce a report for the community. Its bid was for $50,169. 

The board also named a steering committee composed of representatives from various stakeholder groups to work along with town staff and the consultant. The process will also include public input through multiple meetings and methods to collect feedback. The committee members named are: Jonathan Siegel from the Ice Center, David Frothingham from the Center Chains disc golf group, Tami Bass from the skatepark coalition, Alexandra Thomsen from Capital Soccer, Keith Macchione from the Waterbury Area Trails Alliance, Marcy Pelkey from the town Recreation Committee, select board member Alyssa Johnson, and Waterbury Center resident Dan Potter as an at-large community member. 

The board directed Shepeluk and town Planning and Zoning Director Steve Lotspeich to complete the contract with the SE Group. The goal is for the project to produce a report by the end of this year so that any recommendations that need to be addressed with next year’s town budget could be included in the budget process in January. 

Cannabis, special events, manager search

The board also briefly discussed the upcoming launch of the statewide legal cannabis marketplace. State regulators are working to begin the process to issue licenses to growers, processors, distributors and retailers with an eye toward opening the commercial marketplace in October. 

Vermont municipalities have the option to create their own local commissions to oversee licensees in their communities, similar to local liquor control boards that issue alcohol licenses to bars and restaurants. It is not required, however, and town staff recommended against the step saying it likely would duplicate review already happening at the state level. 

Both Shepeluk and Lotspeich noted that local oversight regarding cannabis operations will occur through zoning. The Planning Commission is expected to draft amendments to the town zoning bylaw that may be needed with review and approval afterward by the Select Board.

The Select Board also granted approval to the Rotary Club of Waterbury for the Not Quite Independence Day events scheduled for June 25 in downtown Waterbury. The celebration will include closing Main Street for a fun run and parade starting at 3:45 p.m. Food vendors and music will be set up at Rusty Parker Park and fireworks will be set off behind the State Office Complex around 9 p.m. 

The board also granted permission for three Music In the Alley concerts to be held in the alley alongside Axel’s Gallery and Frame Shop on three summer Fridays: June 17, July 22, and August 26, from 6 to 9 p.m.   

The board briefly discussed the search process underway to recruit and hire a successor to Shepeluk who retires at the end of this year. The committee working with a Vermont League of Cities and Towns consultant is focused on honing the job description and other details to put into materials for the job advertisements that it hopes to put out next month. 

The Select Board discussed seeking public input regarding information to describe some of the top issues a new manager would work on when hired. They agreed to work on a simple online survey to circulate via several platforms.  

UPDATE: This post was corrected regarding the concerts in the alley. The performances will be by artists of various genres.