Thursday, August 7, 2003

Island eyesore: That's how some residents view the demolished house on Fosters Pond

By Ben Hellman

A pile of debris left by the town on an island in Fosters Pond is an eyesore, a danger and a lawsuit waiting to happen, say some residents. The pile was left after the town demolished a house on the island last January.The two-story house had stood abandoned for some time and had become a fire hazard and nuisance that attracted people to the site, said Conservation agent Jim Greer. The town's solution was to drive a backhoe to the island while the pond was frozen and demolish the home, said Greer. The plan with the remaining pile of wood was to let it rot.The resulting pile is approximately 40 feet long and 25 feet wide and stands almost five feet tall at the tallest point. It is mostly wood scrap, but there was some glass, metal and electrical materials left behind. There are also three cement holes in the ground that held electrical or plumbing materials. Greer hadn't been to the island to see the pile since the snow melted and thought that letting the pile rot into the ground would be sufficient. When shown photographs of the site this week he agreed that something would probably have to be done. But he couldn't say what. "It was not feasible to remove the material," said Greer.The pile sits at the top of a hill and even if a dump truck could be brought to the island - which Greer said wasn't possible in the winter because of its weight - the island is also overgrown and access by large equipment would probably be tough, he said.Some Fosters Pond Road residents are not pleased with the existence of the pile. David Adilman, of 15 Fosters Pond Road, said it was visible from his home, and he considers it unsightly. "They left a foundation and a giant pile of debris," said Adilman. He also said the town drove heavy equipment through his yard last winter without his approval.Another resident, who preferred not to be named, said the pile interferes with anyone trying to enjoy the island as conservation land.Resident Edward Gurry, of 10 Fosters Pond Road, said the island was well-covered by trees, making the pile difficult to see from the mainland, but said that the pile might be dangerous to kids. Still, he said the destruction of the house was necessary and a good thing. "Kids tried to set it on fire last summer," said Gurry. He said the resulting blaze would have set the whole island on fire and could have destroyed homes nearby.Regarding the pile and its possible danger to kids, Gurry said the town could be held legally responsible if an accident occurred. "I still think they're in a precarious spot," he said. After viewing photographs of the site, Donald Cooper, Conservation Commission chairman, said he would look into the matter. He said Tuesday night that if those responsible had not cleared the site adequately, conservation agents would fix the situation. "I will make some phone calls tomorrow. It seems like something that should be followed up on," said Cooper. The island was handed over to the Conservation Commission by Town Meeting last spring after a resident who owned the property defaulted on property taxes.