Rockport selectmen have reaffirmed their plan to work toward construction of a connector road aimed at easing traffic on Nugent Stretch along Route 127 to Gloucester's Blackburn Circle.
And this time they're ready to take their case to Gloucester.
Selectmen agreed this week to set a time to meet with Gloucester City Council to discuss the road, while also discussing whether to hold a town referendum on the concept or include a question about it on the warrant for April's Annual Town Meeting.
"The reason I would go to Town Meeting is to let people talk about (putting in the road)," said Selectman Paul Murphy.
Others, however, voiced concern that having a vote in Rockport on the issue without speaking to Gloucester would be rude enough to end any possible cooperation between the towns.
Rockport needs Gloucester to agree to the plans because nearly the entire stretch of the proposed connector — covering the path known as Old Rockport Road — goes through Gloucester.
Gloucester City Councilor and former Mayor Bruce Tobey has maintained that Gloucester has no intention of agreeing to the plan, citing concern for the watershed in the area.
"I don't think Gloucester would support a plan that would bypass all their Eastern Avenue businesses," said Rockport Planning Board member Ted Tarr, noting another possible sticking point.
Though more than 100 people signed a petition circulated in October, the level of support for the road in Rockport has not been otherwise documented.
That's why, according to former Public Works Board of Commissioners chief Bob Burbank, "the impetus of this meeting is to try to get a referendum vote."
Since a referendum can only be held at the town election in May, the real debate came down to whether selectmen should talk to Gloucester City Council before or after any such vote.
"The idea of going after we have a vote on it is that it will have more weight," said Selectwoman Erin Battistelli.
There was also some uncertainty about whether the municipalities should be having the discussion before or after involving the state, since the road would begin and end near Routes 128 and 127.
"Another entity would be the bankrupt Commonwealth of Massachusetts because neither municipality could finance it, either together or on their own," said Selectman Sandy Jacques.
Former Selectman Nicola Barletta, a longtime supporter of building the road, voiced his concern about going to Gloucester before figuring out if Rockporters really want it.
"You don't want to kill it before people get a chance to vote," Barletta said.
Though the issue of building a connector road to bypass parts of Route 127 and the Route 128 extension through Gloucester has been floating around for years, it gained a renewed sense of urgency in some circles in August 2010, when a truck accident at Blackburn Circle essentially trapped workers and customers in Blackburn Industrial Park for hours and backed up traffic for several miles.
Opponents of the road, including Tobey, cite concerns for potential harm to Babson Reservoir and its watershed, which they say could be damaged by runoff from the new road. Opponents also say that it makes little sense to spend money to try to ease traffic that only becomes a real issue during the summer, and is, overall, a manageable problem.
"I think we should be trying (more) to make Rockport worth staying in, rather than finding a faster way out," said Tarr.
Stephanie Bergman can contacted at 978-283-7000 x3451 or sbergman@gloucestertimes.com
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