FAIRLEE—The Fairlee Selectboard voted to enforce a zero tolerance policy for speed infractions on Lake Morey Road on July 19.
The town is considering posting new speed limit signs along the road, as well as collecting data on traffic and bicycle speeds around the lake, in an effort to make Lake Morey’s recreational areas safer for pedestrians.
The Lake Morey Protective Association has been working with the selectboard to develop possible ways to address traffic on Lake Morey Road, and selectboard chair Peter Berger said that he wanted to prioritize collecting speed data as it would give the LMPA and board a better understanding of the issue.
“We’ve been having discussions over the years about ways to handle the influx of both the camp traffic and out-of-towners, walking, biking, pedestrian,” Berger said. “Capturing data would be my solution to know that [potential solutions] work.”
The board also discussed the Main Street to Morey project, which aims to boost the local economy and bring more people and business to the section of Main Street between Lake Morey Road and the Fairlee Diner.
The Main Street to Morey project began in 2019, funded by a grant from the State of Vermont’s Better Connections program. Its website states that it intends to “provide a clear set of implementable tasks for the Town of Fairlee that are intended to support a safer, healthier, and more economically vibrant community.”
The end result of the project was a report detailing the current economic and environmental condition of that area, recent community events held there, and possible future improvements that could benefit the town center.
“It’s an ongoing project to be linked to surface water and biking and pedestrian access along the corridor,” Berger said.
There will be an informational meeting and discussion about the Main Street to Morey report in August. The report itself is available on the Fairlee town website.
Meanwhile, board members are looking at ways to provide shared septic service to the community, and will study Fairlee’s current wastewater capacity. Berger said that the study will be funded by a $100,000 grant coming from the state of Vermont as part of the American Rescue Plan federal pandemic relief package.
According to Berger, there will be public meetings concerning this study and potential shared septic service plans later in the year, depending on when the town is able to access funding.
During the July 19 meeting, the selectboard also discussed the return of Fairlee’s police cruiser, as well as the possibility of a tai chi program at the Fairlee Town Hall, which would be funded by attendees’ donations.