To the Editor:
I write to voice my concerns raised by my neighbors regarding the re-envisioning of Sherman Bridge, a historically significant feature of my neighborhood. As I learned more about the issue and communications, my sentiment shifted from preservation to disappointment. I became aware that the 1971 agreement’s 2½-ton weight limit has not been maintained or enforced. The current plans also disregard the pavement-width restriction as well as the prohibition on the use of state funds for bridge repairs. I urge the Select Board to take steps, as their predecessors have, to defuse the situation and prevent yet another scandal.
Maurice Stauffer’s affidavit and articles in the Town Crier establish a clear record of the agreement between neighborhood representatives, selectmen, road commissions, and the Planning Board, with knowledge of Town counsel. It is my understanding that the affidavit clarifies that the agreement was not about transferring land.
Sadly, my family’s experience living on this road for 12 years would have been different without the noise and hazards of commercial trucks. We live near Alpine Field and trails at Castle Hill and Trout Brook. I had hoped my children would develop their independence, explore and appreciate the conservation land. However, aside from the traffic lull during COVID, it has always been dangerous to access trailheads along blind turns with no shoulders. Now, with three teenage drivers, I am acutely aware that turning out of our driveway onto the roadway is a moment of peak peril, as others treat the narrow road as an alternative to Route 20 or Route 117. This is not hyperbole: every few years, my mailbox is damaged by the rearview mirror of a large vehicle.
Benjamin Kuris
Sherman’s Bridge Road
