Property owner seeks easement to run septic discharge under Indian Point Road; selectmen require additional easements and town-meeting approval

Property owner Penn Rhodeen asked the Board of Selectmen for an easement to run an OBD (onsite waste discharge) pipe through a town culvert under Indian Point Road. Selectmen and town staff told Rhodeen they were wary of routing private discharge through town drainage because the town could become responsible for repairs if the culvert or sleeve plugged or failed.

Town Manager Billings and selectmen encouraged Rhodeen to seek solutions that would keep the town’s drainage system separate from private septic discharges, such as installing his own culvert sleeve or obtaining abutter easements. Several motions were recorded directing the matter toward the 2021 Annual Town Meeting: selectmen voted to add the easement article to the warrant provided necessary abutter easements and engineering specifications for the road cut are submitted. A prior motion (in November) recorded a 3–1–1 vote to add an easement for an OBD pipe with specifications for road restoration, with one selectman opposed and one abstention.

Selectmen repeatedly emphasized that any use of the town culvert would carry town liability and that the town is not responsible for future maintenance of privately owned discharge lines. The board requested additional legal review and documentation before placing any easement on a warrant and deferred final approval to a future town meeting.