Town of Beekman

PLAN LOOKS AT LIMITS ON DEAD-ENDS:

Beekman wants to limit new dead-end roads in town and im-prove the safety and maintenance of ones that are built.

A law is being proposed to limit the length of dead-ends to serve no more than 14 homes.

By restricting the number of houses permitted on such roads, the town hopes to limit homes that could not be reached by a fire truck or ambulance in the event a tree falls across the road or a traffic accident blocks access.

"It's a safety issue," town Planner Neal Townsend said. "How many people are you going to strand? It wipes out access."

The Beekman fire, building and highway departments collaborated on the changes.
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The law reads: "For greater convenience to traffic, and more effective police and fire protection, permanent dead-end roads shall, in general, be limited in length to 400 feet."

The "in general" wording has allowed the board to approve dead-ends longer than 400 feet.

"It's been apparently a very loose guideline," Poltrack said.

"The planning board felt they needed more definitive wording," Townsend said.

Michael White of Spectra Engineering, who has represented a number of developers before local town planning boards, said Beekman's proposal sounds fair.

"In Beekman, you have large lots to begin with," White said of the 14-lot limit.

For emergency access reasons and to promote better traffic flow, Beekman is also proposing to limit to one the number of dead-ends permitted in new subdivisions. This is meant to encourage construction of looping roads and interconnecting streets.