OTISFIELD — Selectmen say they are waiting to hear cost estimates to remedy erosion problems on Cobb Hill Road.
“Now it’s a matter of how much will it cost and will taxpayers pay for it,” Selectman Rick Micklon said at Wednesday night’s board meeting. “We may have to spend a lot of money.”
Selectmen say a large watershed on top of Scribner Hill is being eyed as a major cause for ongoing erosion that is threatening the water quality of Thompson Lake.
In early November, the board asked Ross Cudlitz of Engineering Assistance & Design in Yarmouth to look at Cobb Hill Road, which runs between Route 121 and Scribner Hill Road, to determine why there is still a serious problem with washouts on the road despite the placement of several large culverts.
A 2010 project designed to help control erosion into Thompson Lake from sites, including Cobb Hill Road, was considered successful, preventing an estimated 52 tons of soil from entering the lake. However, recent unexpected severe storms have continued to be problematic on Cobb Hill Road.
Officials have reported water coming down the hill in double and even triple the usual amount during major storms, clogging or bypassing culverts.
Thompson Lake covers 47.4 square miles or 30,336 acres. It is bordered by Otisfield, Oxford, Poland and Casco.
Micklon said the board expects a report from the engineer after the new year.
Vicki Rogers asked the board Wednesday night to have the engineer review Ohuivo Camp Road, which is off Cobb Hill Road, as part of the engineer’s survey.
Board of Selectmen Chairman Hal Ferguson has asked all residents who have similar concerns about the project to come to a board meeting to address them directly with the board.
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