A plethora of reasons not to vote for warrant Article 57
To the editor:
The Mount Washington Valley Trails Association is asking Conway voters to vote no on petitioned Article 57 on April 8. Here’s why: The Article 57 proponents are running ads that unfairly paint the rec path approval process as lacking. This is just wrong. While citizens can (and do) fairly disagree about the final details, the town and board of selectmen have put this project through a painstakingly detailed decade-long public process to design and site the rec path, with public input at each step.
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Conway’s Master Plan has called for a multi-use rec path for over 20 years. Our rec path committee was created from the Master Plan, and was invited in 2012 by the planning department to help develop the town’s trails plan. A single, paved rec path was designed to be the central backbone of our wider dirt trail network — a path that people of all ages and abilities can use together for recreation and transportation — running from the Bartlett line south to the Fryeburg line to connect to Maine’s existing
path.
The town voted in 2015 to approve a section of the rec path from Intervale to North Conway — and since then, the selectmen have had the trails association present at over 15 publicly noticed meetings to take public input, and to develop and finalize details in consultation with expert, licensed professionals and permitting authorities.
After numerous public hearings, and hearing all sides multiple times, both the conservation commission and board of selectmen agreed to allow the paved rec path in Whitaker Woods. As recently stated by selectman Carl Thibodeau, the decision was to create one paved path so that all Conway citizens, regardless of ability, could access and enjoy Whitaker Woods.
Article 57 would likely render impossible any further phases of the rec path, or for that matter any grant-funded project (town or partnership). Moreover, Article 57 would also raise the cost and extend time on almost all municipal projects, because of the requirements it seeks to impose at the very end of these projects — two extra hearings and a full annual town meeting vote after final design, surveying, and permitting have already occurred — potentially sending town staff from final design back to the drawing board, and for more expense, year after year, on each municipal project. It’s just bad policy; and it’s unnecessary.
This is why the budget Committee, the board of selectmen, and the conservation commission have all voted to oppose Article 57.
We urge the voters of Conway to attend voting day on April 8 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. at the town garage, and vote no on Article 57; in part so that we can continue to bring outdoor trails to the community of Conway. Thank you for your consideration, and if you want more information on the rec path — visit our website at mwvrecpath.org!
Mount Washington Valley Trails Association board members
Chris Meier, Larry Garland, Sally McMurdo, Jeanne Twehous, Daren Celso, Ralph Cronin, Earl Sires