City pulled into dispute over extension of town road

The City of Port Washington on Tuesday formally opposed efforts to abandon a portion of Groeschel Road in the Town of Port.

Although the city doesn’t usually comment on town matters, Groeschel Road isn’t just any street.

The road, which is only a couple blocks long, is expected to be an entrance into the proposed Whitetail Hills subdivision, which would be developed in the city.

Abandoning any portion of that road would “have a profound impact” on the subdivision plans, City Attorney Eric Eberhardt said.

“There are valid public policy reasons to oppose this,” he told aldermen.

Six town residents living along the road have petitioned to abandon a portion of the roadway, saying they don’t want to deal with additional traffic in their neighborhood once the new subdivision is built.

“We don’t want the road open to the city on the other side,” Robert Jackson, 3557 Groeschel Rd., told the board in June. “We all moved there for the quiet, the privacy. There is no reason in the world to do this. It should remain a closed road.”

Residents previously asked the town to prohibit city residents from using Groeschel Road, something board members said they can’t legally do.

“The road is open today and it has been since the 1950s,” Town Chairman Mike Didier said. “It’s a gravel road. Anyone here can travel the road today, can travel the road tomorrow. This board has no right to tell anyone they can’t drive on it.”

And, he added, “the town can’t stop them (the subdivision developers) from building a road on their property” even if it connects to a town road.

One reason cited in the city’s resolution opposing the residents’ request is public safety.

Groeschel  Road is an important link for the proposed 65-acre, 69-lot subdivision, the resolution states, noting the roadway will facilitate pedestrian and vehicle traffic in and out of the subdivision, as well as fire and ambulance services.

The resolution also notes that the developer is contemplating connecting sewer and water  services for the subdivision along Groeschel Road — something that can’t be accommodated if the road is abandoned.

It also notes that the boundary agreement approved by the city and town calls for the two to work on extending utilities and streets into the Knellsville area, and Groeschel Road, which was platted in 1956, is one way to do that.

The town’s comprehensive plan also doesn’t provide for the discontinuance of any portion of Groeschel Road, the resolution states.

Aldermen offered no comments, but unanimously approved the resolution opposing abandoning the road.

The Town Board will hold a public hearing on the petition to abandon Groeschel Road north of Keelson Cove at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 4, and could act on the petition that night.

Eberhardt said he plans to attend the meeting to present the city’s position on the matter.