Town wants Mitchelltown Road access

SHARON — At a special meeting of the Board of Selectmen on Aug. 23, attended by approximately 30 people, the selectmen voted not to install speed humps on Mitchelltown Road.

There was a long discussion at the  meeting about the town’s desire to seek temporary eminent domain on a piece of the property owned by Metz LLC on Mitchelltown Road.

The town needs to be able to get access to and use the land to complete repairs to the Mitchelltown Road bridge. The bridge (and the road) have been closed for about a year.

To date, discussions with the landowner have not resulted in permission to use the land. Because he also owns land on Mitchelltown Road, First Selectman Bob Loucks recused himself from the discussion at the Aug. 23 meeting.

Town attorney Judith Dixon said the selectmen should not vote on going to court to seek a temporary eminent domain order until they have made one more attempt to meet with the landowner and come to some sort of agreement.

Selectmen Meg Szalewicz and John Mathews said they will attempt to meet with Metz one more time.

Other business

• The selectmen accepted a bid, not to exceed $77,000, from Hamm Construction company to design and build a sanitary sewer system and potable well water system at the Public Works facility that would also serve the new dog pound; and an oil water separator for the Public Works building.

Loucks reported the new dog pound would be complete by the end of August or the first week of September and will come in approximately $2,000 under budget.

• Jamie Casey, captain of the Sharon Volunteer Ambulance Squad, reported that year-to-date, the squad has had 62 more calls than in 2010. Casey said the squad is averaging 1.5 calls per day. When asked what the increase was attributed to, Casey said the squad could not identify any reason. “There is increased usage across the board.”

• The selectmen approved a request from the town building official to increase certain fees. Building permits will now cost $25 for the first $1,000 of project cost plus $7 for each additional $1,000, and there will be a $250 fine for any projects begun before issuance of a building permit.

• A motion was passed, subject to review by the Energy Committee, to sign a five-year lease with DSC Energy for installation of solar power panels at the town garage, the water treatment station and Sharon Center School. There will be no cost to the town. At the end of the lease, ownership of the solar panels will revert to the town.

• Jessica Fowler, chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee reported the committee is looking at placing directional signs at the four-way stop on Main Street in front of the Green. While the clock tower intersection is also under consideration, there are logistical issues with that location.