Jared Wilbur, a resident, asked the Finance Committee on May 2 to review Chapter 7 of the traffic code and focus on Article 9, which restricts vehicle weight and dual wheels on Beals Avenue. Wilbur read the ordinance language during public comment and urged staff to proactively discuss access points with a developer to avoid repeated complaints and enforcement calls.

Wilbur quoted the code as written: "No vehicle exceeding 6,000 pounds gross weight or dual wheels shall be operated at any time over Beals Ave, or any part of." He asked for clarification on what vehicle classes that weight limit covers and whether the city should work with the developer on which intersection construction traffic should use.

Committee members and staff responded that the Local Roads Committee or the cityommittee that manages local roads would be the appropriate venue to address the question. A committee member said, "That's a good point ... that would probably be the best venue to bring that to," and staff agreed to bring the issue to the local roads group.

Speakers also described construction access options used on previous projects. One speaker explained that in a prior move a building required a temporary access built with crane mats and blocking because the existing entrance could not handle the load. That speaker described crane mats as large hardwood mats, often 8 inches thick and 4 by 12 or 16 feet, placed on turf and removed after work to minimize environmental impact. Another speaker noted that in wetlands projects, regulators such as the state DEP often require swamp mats or similar materials for temporary access to reduce damage.

Action and next steps
Committee members directed staff to refer Beals Avenue access and ordinance compliance to the Local Roads Committee for review and to coordinate with public works as needed. No ordinance amendment or enforcement action was taken at the meeting.

Quotations in this story are taken verbatim from the Finance Committee transcript of public comment and member responses.