Rutland Herald

Mass mail campaign targeting truck limits

October 22, 2000
By SANDI SWITZER
Correspondent

WALLINGFORD - Dozens of identical postcards with a clear message regarding truck traffic on area roads have been delivered to Town Hall.

Approximately 100 businesses and individuals from across the state have signed and sent pre-printed postcards to the Wallingford Select Board.

The postcards inform local leaders that citizens are "willing to fight for the right to use the roads."

At issue is the town's decision to review local road and traffic ordinances to see if revisions are needed to protect the community from burdensome development projects.

Wallingford officials agreed on the review in response to a citizens' petition calling for the town to oppose the use of Route 140 by OMYA to haul material from a proposed Danby quarry site to a processing plant in Florence.

The petition was signed by more than 150 local residents.

The postcards read: "We recently heard that the Wallingford Select Board is considering possible changes that, if passed, will restrict the weight limit and permit process for truckers traveling on Route 140 and Route 7. We represent many employees and customers who travel these routes daily and are directly affected by the passage of these changes - resulting in adverse effects on our jobs, families and the communities that we serve."

The message further says the two routes provide the only access to many customers and that reduced weight restrictions would result in smaller loads and more frequent trips.

Along with the postcards, businesses received copies of a letter titled "Truckers Beware" from Harry Carter of L.F. Carter Inc., a trucking company whose major client is OMYA.

"If you own and operate trucks in Vermont, be aware of what is being proposed in the towns of Tinmouth and Wallingford. If the anti-trucking forces have their way, you could be out of business and your employees could be looking for work," Carter wrote.

He urged businesses to mail the pre-printed postcards to the Wallingford Select Board.

In addition to Carter's letter, businesses also received an outline of OMYA's plans for the Danby quarry site, as well as a letter from Sandra Dragon of Associated Industries of Vermont, urging business owners to sign and mail the postcards.

Carter said the packets of information were the result of a joint effort between OMYA and his firm and were distributed with Associated Industries' assistance.

Wallingford Selectman Edward Crelin said recently that the packets were riddled with misinformation.

"If you look at it in a pragmatic way, we've got roads that are capable of supporting a certain amount of traffic. What we have to determine is what that amount is," he said.

Crelin explained he is interested in maintaining the roads to suit slow but steady growth rates in trucking and commerce.

"We're making it so that as responsible development occurs, upgrades to the roads can occur," he said. "We want to protect the trucking and commerce that exists now, as well as a way of life."

A Tinmouth official said the town has not received any postcards from businesses regarding truck traffic.

Tinmouth residents voted in March to oppose OMYA's proposal, and the town is considering joining a coalition of opponents, including the Conservation Law Foundation, to fight the project.