Taking action to remove storage trailer
SHARON — Ongoing concerns about a storage trailer on Drum Road were the focus of a discussion by the Sharon Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 12, held on Zoom.
Following discussion, the selectmen agreed that a meeting with the state police would be the next step in pursuing action to remove the trailer and a skid steer from the property.
A complaint was received in March 2019 by Land Use Administrator Jamie Casey asking the town to take action on alleged violations of town ordinances governing abandoned vehicles and abandoned property.
No action has been taken yet, so Casey brought the matter to the attention of the selectmen.
Town attorney Randall DiBella has been working with Selectman Dale Jones on the issue, particularly the problem of the storage trailer and skid steer impinging on the town right-of-way by 1 foot.
In the meantime, Casey said the unsightliness of the vehicles has worsened.
Jones said that enforcement has been pursued but without result and he agreed that more action is needed to get the situation corrected. DiBella indicated that he has conferred with First Selectman Brent Colley and he has reviewed the town’s relevant ordinances.
The state police have indicated an unwillingness to pursue the matter because the offending vehicles are not situated in the travel portion of the road.
DiBella reasoned that if the town files a lawsuit, it might not achieve the desired outcome. To his suggestion that the town’s zoning regulations governing storage might help, Casey replied that local zoning enforcement rules indicate that it is not a zoning issue.
Current town ordinances, according to DiBella, are not sufficiently effective to support enforcement. He added that to pursue action through the courts is costly.
Jones suggested that he and Colley could meet again with state police officials and request enforcement, arguing that such vehicles do not need to be blocking travel portions of the road in order to be tagged for removal.
DiBella said that the items could be tagged for being on town property, giving the owner 48 hours to remove the vehicles; after that, the items may be towed away by the town.
