Crocker's future
Editorial

Again in the last few weeks the questions of whose responsibility it is to say, "Hey, wait a minute, did you think of this?" has arisen.

This time it came in the form of a newly dropped lawsuit by the town of Westminster against the Westminster Conservation Commission.

The Selectmen filed the lawsuit as a method of appeal for the commission's decision denying the roadway to add an access road from Route 2A by TRW back into the area.

The idea of a new access road for the Crocker Pond Recreation Area in Westminster was not a new one when it went before the Conservation Commission for the first time nearly a year ago.

From the beginning there were discussions about using the area south of the beach as baseball, soccer, or other youth sports fields. It appears now that those plans are indefinitely on hold.

It's not clear if the Selectmen should have gone to the commission before formally submitting the plan for suggestions or if the commission should have gone to the Selectmen and said it was going to have a problem with the plan.

Maybe the issues could have been avoided, but maybe not.

The questions now have to be raised about what comes next. The denial of the road has other ramifications for the town.

This could cause a whole set of different problems because the town will still need to build some sports fields, but one of the main locations for the fields is now inaccessible. The Crocker Pond Recreation Area now comprises hiking trails as well as the beach area, so the question becomes, What next?

If the area isn't going to be used for fields, then what is the area forested area going to be used for? Do residents want the area to remain forested, or are people looking for another use for that area?