ROUTE 9 PAVING PROJECT IN EDDINGTON

It was reported at Tuesday's Selectmen meeting that the Maine Department of Transportation (DOT) is scheduled to pave Route 9 this summer. The project is planned to begin at the Eddington/Brewer line and continue to the Parks Pond road at the Eddington/Clifton line. (We can just hope this project does take place and that DOT funding is sufficient to actually do the job and not run out of funds or time before getting to the Clifton line. Seems part of this project was scheduled for last summer and, as we know, it did not happen.)

This writer reported to the Selectmen of telephone calls to Russell Smith, Town Manager, regarding water run-off problems from Route 9 that is actually DESTROYING private property on the shoreline area of Davis Pond. The phone calls to Russell were in hopes that he could contact the appropriate individuals at DOT for assistance in getting that department to address the issue which is being caused by the way DOT has constructed Route 9 paving. Yes, it is true gravity does influence the direction of water run-off and those residents living on shoreline lots are on the sourth-side and lower land than Route 9. However, the water damage did not occur until DOT failed to create property-protection run-off several years ago.

The run-off is causing full-grown trees to topple over from the root systems being inundated with excessive water to the degree of actual waterfalls. The property and woodland area behind several homes east of Rooks Road in being devastated. Considering the "high-end" property tax rate charged to the homeowners, it only seems reasonable the elected body of government, which benefits from those taxes, should stand up for the property owners and address this run-off issue with DOT.