FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Monday to officially discontinue maintenance of a section of Kennebago Road in Lang Township, north of Rangeley, because it has been abandoned for more than 30 years.
Commissioners held a public hearing. After they closed it, they found based on the evidence presented, that the section of Kennebago Road from the snow plow turnaround at the east branch of the Bonney Brook to the west branch of the Bonney Brook meets the standard of being “discontinued by abandonment.”
A public easement remains over that section of the Kennebago Road.
There is a 10-day appeal period before the county clerk records a certificate of discontinuance to be registered in Franklin County Registry of Deeds.
John Newell owns property along the road and wants to have power poles installed for a house to plans to build. Three poles would be on the first section of the road, which is maintained, but three others would be on the next section, which is not maintained.
Newell wanted the section of road to be officially discontinued so he could have the poles installed. The county will have no liability for that section of road or the utility poles.
NOTE: An initial description written by the county’s attorney that was originally printed in the story was wrong. The correct description appears now.
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