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Valley Dam Road residents want safety
  
by Brendan Berube
Contributing Writer
 
January 04, 2007
BARNSTEAD — The residents of Valley Dam Road sat in on the Barnstead Board of Selectmen's Tuesday night meeting with an attorney in tow to plead their case for restricted public access to the dam.

Attorney Scott Hogan of Lee first came to the board in October 2005 to complain, on behalf of his clients, that visitors from out of town were blocking the road until late into the night, making it impossible for residents or emergency vehicles to pass. The town recently placed signs on the property, which say "No parking after 9 p.m.," but according to Hogan's clients, the signs have been as effective as "toothless tigers."

"One day, when someone's house is on fire, or they're having a heart attack, it's going to be one of those hot August days when there are a lot of people there, and emergency vehicles won't be able to get through," Hogan explained.

"Some real monitoring and real restrictions are what we're looking for right now," he added, questioning whether Valley Dam is a public or private road, and whether the signs are backed up by town ordinances.

The selectmen agreed to research the history of the road to determine if the town has any jurisdiction over it, but advised Hogan that with budget season in full swing, his clients may have to wait a little longer for the issue to be resolved.

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