The Warren Select Board discussed a slide on the hillside on the south side of the Sugarbush Access Road on August 24. The road is built on ledge and the section of hillside has moved over the last several years though the roadway has not yet been affected. Select board member Bob Ackland said recent storms have aggravated the problem slightly, though the issue isn’t new. Three repairs on the hillside have occurred over the last few years. “The access road is a real challenge,” Ackland said.
The outfall has dropped with water washing out fine material. “It’s a pretty sizable piece that’s moving,” select board chair Andy Cunningham said.
GSI Environmental, an engineering firm specializing in the assessment and management of environmental risk, has done an evaluation of the risk of the slide impacting the road and surrounding area, which they will present at the Warren Select Board’s next meeting on September 7.
There was discussion of ARPA funding being used to mitigate the slide’s impact on the road. The select board identified preserving the road’s infrastructure as a priority. The evaluation is expected to outline what should be done and what must be done to preserve the road below. The board will wait to take action until that evaluation has been presented. They anticipate funding for the project will be in next year’s town budget.
