GILL — Having received Selectboard approval, Mount Hermon Road will remain closed at least through December, due to Northfield Mount Hermon School’s concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19.
Mount Hermon Road is a public road, but all land on both sides of the road is owned by NMH, said Gill Town Administrator Ray Purington.
The road was completely closed off in March, when the COVID-19 outbreak became a public health issue. The southern end of the road has been blocked for longer by a locked gate, due to construction the school is doing, but the road had been accessible from the northern end before March.
Members of the Gill Fire and Police departments are still able to access Mount Hermon Road from the southern end by unlocking the gate.
Though the Selectboard recently agreed to extend the closure through December, board members expressed concerns over how the closure might affect the relationship between the school and the town of Gill.
Notably, without Mount Hermon Road, people accessing the school will only be able to do so through Northfield, possibly weakening the public’s association of the school with Gill, board members pointed out.
Similarly, board members wondered if school employees who normally patronize Gill businesses, like The Gill Tavern or Upinngil Farm, might be less inclined to do so, if access is less convenient.
Representatives from the school acknowledged the concerns, but also emphasized that NMH has a vested interest in the town’s well-being.
“The long-term is,” NMH Head of School Brian Hargrove said, “we must stand together in that partnership. We’re committed to that.”
The Selectboard set a date of Dec. 20 to reconsider whether Mount Hermon Road should still be closed.
Reach Max Marcus at
mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.