Bolton Town Selectboard to Propose Closing Access to Bolton Potholes

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As the mercury has risen in recent weeks, so too have the tempers of residents living along Bolton Valley Road near the Bolton Potholes. The usual crush of summertime visitors to the popular swimming hole has brought with it an unusual amount of public annoyances and safety concerns, including broken bottles, uncollected trash, illegal parking, fireworks and public urination and defecation. Several residents living near the falls have even reported been sworn at and verbally harassed by swimming hole visitors.

In response, the Bolton Town Selectboard is putting its foot down. According to newly appointed town selectman David Parot, the board has scheduled a special meeting for Monday to discuss ways of closing access to the swimming hole, which is located on private property. 

"All of us on the selectboard, our phones have been ringing off the hook through this heat wave," says Parot. "It's been a disaster."

According to Parot, traffic along Bolton Valley Road is now down to one lane of traffic every day due to all the cars parked on the town's right of way. Last week, Parot says, he nearly T-boned another vehicle as it was turning around on a blind curve. However, he says state police can't be expected to spend all their time trying to deal with this problem.

Photo credit: Matthew Thorsen.

The selectboard is looking for creative solutions. One proposal to be discussed on Monday is to rent concrete "Jersey barriers" that would prevent drivers from parking along the town's right of way, and urging swimming hole visitors to park in the Smilie Memorial School a stone's throw from the falls. However, Parot points out that at an estimated cost of $15,000 to rent those barriers, that solution may be impractical.

Likewise, the prospect of towing cars, though not off the table, is less than desirable, as it's costly and less effective at keeping visitors away.

There are no plans to consider designating the falls as a town park due to safety and liability concerns.

In the meantime, the board is appealing to the public to be more considerate to Bolton property owners and if they pack it in, pack it out — be it dirty diapers, cigarette butts, beer bottles or other debris.

"We don't want to play the heavy, but at some point you have to lay down the law," Parot adds.  "We have an obligation to our taxpayers to not see their quality of life diminished." 

Comments

[dale tillotson]

If the state police are the responsible force for dealing with traffic on the road, then the state police must be expected to deal with the situation. While I realize state police have more pressing issues than dealing with swimming hole jumper traffic violators they also have more important issues in the winter than dealing with senseless drivers on ice covered mountain roads, such as this road.
If it is really a problem and people are affected, take action tow the violators, and get over it.
After all the swimming is free it is not like a lot of tax dollars will be lost to businesses because you tow illegal parkers.
More tax dollars would be lost if state police patrolled the area heavily, issued tickets and ticked people off in the winter than towing these violators.

[BV_Local]

As somebody who has lived in BV for 10 years, I knew this summer was going to be a problem when the select board decided to do away with all the parking on the downhill side of the road, eliminating half the available parking spaces for the potholes. This also created less space to turn around, so people are forced to try and park further up the road, or turn around using private driveways on blind corners.

When it gets hot, people are going to come and swim. That isn't going to stop. The select board should just accept that and figure out a way to maximize the parking area they have, rather than blocking more of it off. Turn the potholes into a park, create a real parking area, and drop the NIMBY attitude so we can welcome people to the community rather than try and dissuade them from coming by ticketing and towing.

[Haik Bedrosian]

BV_Local for selectboard! Your position is exactly correct.

[BV_Local]

If there were garbage cans and bathrooms, that would help with some of the issues. I don't know how much they spent on the parking barriers they already put in place on the downhill side of the road, but that money could have been better spent elsewhere.

[Eric Caswell]

Its not about disuading people from coming, it's about safety and respect! The people who live near the potholes have the right to not have to deal with the trash, people crapping in the woods behind their houses and being sworn at. Are we going to wait until somebody's child is hit because they're standing in the road before we take this seriously. The selectboard members are constantly receiving complaints from BV residents and they are simply trying to find a solution to this issue. Why is it so hard to understand that you shouldn't park or hang out in the road and that you should clean up after yourselves. Come on people!!

[Devin]

People need to respect the locals. I have seen the
abuse of the Bolton pots get worse over the years. If
users of the swimming hole cannot visit low-impact, then
I say take away access.

[Ally]

This is the same BS as people who live near the airport and complain about noise from jets and F16's. Did you not know you were buying a house near an airport when you bought your house? Airports are loud. Jets are loud. F16s are really loud. Same is true for Bolton Potholes. The potholes have been there long before any of these NIMBY locals started bitching, and they'll be there long after the NIMBY locals are gone. Embrace reality and find solutions. Don't just bitch. People will always find a way to enjoy the potholes, no matter what limits are put on the access. People will just walk further and bushwack through the woods behind Smiley School. Make it safe, put trash cans up, park at the school, make a path, and ask people to contribute money to help pay for the stuff. Believe me, they'll pay. They love the place.

[David Parot]

The town of Bolton was chartered in 1763. We have 26,000 acres of land. We have an excellent turnout for town meeting . And we are a close knit community. What we are not is a door mat that people wipe their feet on coming in and going out. So when i read NIMBY in a comment it makes me a little frustrated.There are thousands of preserved acres in our little town of 900 plus. Some of which include Preston pond a wonderful mixed use natural area. The Sarah Holbrook property along the Winooski river a wild place in a very natural untouched setting. CRAG VT maintains a rock climbing area that the town helped with.We have the Long Trail, the Catamount Trail, and thousands of acres enrolled in the Current Use program. We also have a great snowmobile club that maintains some of the best riding in the state.OOOPs and i almost forgot we entertain 225,000 skier visits a year on top of thirty summer time weddings . So we have a lot of stuff going on in our BACKYARDS .We will not have Valet parking, restrooms , free trash disposal,and don't forget maid service to clean up after people at the potholes.Plain and simple. This issue is strictly about legal parking on the access road. Bolton taxpayers and residents have a right to go to and from their homes safely with out delay and that is not happening. If folks that come to our town don't like it, tough. And anyone that doesn't like can go jump in the LAKE. We as a Select Board have more important things to get done like Budgets, setting the tax rate, trying to keep taxes down so people can stay in their homes and getting FEMA flood regulations finished. we have better things to do than baby sit people with poor behavior. David Parot

[Haik Bedrosian]

"We as a Select Board have more important things to get done..."

Yet here you are blogging about this. As long as you are Mr. Parot, what say you to the earlier comment:

"As somebody who has lived in BV for 10 years, I knew this summer was going to be a problem when the select board decided to do away with all the parking on the downhill side of the road, eliminating half the available parking spaces for the potholes. This also created less space to turn around, so people are forced to try and park further up the road, or turn around using private driveways on blind corners."

Did the selectboard eliminate half the parking? If so why? And did this action contribute to the problems? BV_Local's comments seemed worthy of addressing.

[R.J.Vallie(Chairperson,Bolton Selectboard)]

In answer to the question,regarding the elimination of parking on the "downhill" side;the Selectboard made this decision,last year,for safety reasons.Persons parking,on both sides,still continued to park on "paved road area" partially;this caused a severe restriction for safe travel(say nothing of fire/rescue vehicles).Also,persons parked on that downhill side,were leaving doors open,children in the road & crossing to reach the "potholes";it just made sense to try to eliminate some of the hazards. When school is out,parking in Smile School lot is a safe option. PARKING ON TRAVEL PORTIONS OF THE ROAD(Pavement) is illegal;towing/ticketing is an option. We will continue to depend on our State Police to keep the road open & safe!
PS...We are having a "special meeting" this coming Monday to set our tax rate.The "potholes" was on our agenda at the last meeting;it will continue to be a monitored issue.
Thanks

[John T]

As a resident of Bolton Valley, I have seen an increase in popularity over the years of the "potholes." There is a contingent of people who use the area as their garbage can, toilet, place to have sex and home for the summer, this response is geared towards them.
There is a SERIOUS LACK OF RESPECT for the land and the neighboring property owners at the hands of the potholers that no amount of my town's tax dollars is going to remedy. Port-o-Sans and garbage cans only work for people who are housebroken.
I have friends who longer live adjacent to the potholes, not because of the traffic and parking but because of the disrespect of pothole goers defecating, having sex and leaving condoms in their back yard and then being indignant when caught. This is not an embellishment, this is happening right now.
Do you think the neighbors want beater green subie guy living there all summer? Hell, no joke, every morning I leave for work, there is the beater green subie with the bed head grabbing stuff out of it.
Let's talk parking. Yesterday, Sunday, cars parked 4 tires on the pavement up past Hummingbird lane leaving ONE TRAVEL LANE through a narrow, twisty part of the road. Then there are the drunk people with open containers standing in the road, or leaving their doors open in the ONE TRAVEL LANE or letting their toddlers run into the road. The state police want no part of this, residents up and down this road have called and they still don't tow.
If you think I want those uneven, ugly lane markers on the downhill side and proposed jersey barriers on the uphill side, all at my (the taxpayer) cost, you are sadly mistaken. Unfortunately, it may have to be a reality due to the inconsiderate nature of a good portion of the current pothole goer.
How hard is it to walk a few hundred feet from the Smilie school? How hard is it to find a suitable place to poop? How hard is it to not bang your tramp in public? How hard is it to pick up your own garbage? How hard is it to not break glass all over the place?
NIMBY my ass, it's ALL IN MY BACKYARD... CragVT, Holbrook, Skiing, it's why I live here. Some of you people behave like animals and need to learn manners, then you will be welcome here. I for one do not have to tolerate it. Go smash a bottle in your parents driveway and see where that gets you.

[John T]

Mr Bedrosian,
you are more than welcome to attend a select board meeting in the town of Bolton. Please, come down and participate. As a taxpayer in town, I am sure you would care enough to make an appearance. You already nominated BV Local for selectboard and thrashed the decision to close off downhill parking, you must have opinions relevant to how we spend our tax dollars. So instead of being a fringe player throwing barbs, get yourself known and heard. I am and I do, see you at a selectboard meeting.

[John T]

Ally,
f-16's don't shit in my yard, leave used condoms for my kids to find or break glass everywhere. You do make a valid point about not living near an airport but not for living near a natural area.

The abuse of the potholes has increased tenfold over the last 5 years and that is due to an entitled generation thinking that everything is owed to them. Do you own a home or condo? At Bolton? Probably not or you wouldn't be trashing "NIMBY locals." You would be appalled at what goes on at the potholes and the parking situation.

"Ask people to contribute..." Are you high? You must be, because you missed the part where parking at Smilie was suggested and you used it as a threat... "People will always find a way to enjoy the potholes, no matter what limits are put on the access. People will just walk further and bushwack through the woods behind Smiley School..."

Another invite for you to attend a selectboard meeting, if you care enough and you do live here.

[Haik Bedrosian]

You have misunderstood and Mischaracterized my comments, Mr. "T." Did I say I was a taxpayer in Bolton? Did I "thrash" a decision, or did I simply ask that a question about the decision be addressed?

Anger effects perception negatively. Take a breath and re-read my comments, Mr. T.

[John T]

Haik,
your comments insinuate an interest in the town's matters that go beyond just a swimmer. You did nominate a selectboard member and you do disagree with the downhill blockage of parking, (that was never legal in the first place). I simply invited you to a selectboard meeting to air your grievances in a way that would get you heard, but in all your enlightenment you accused me of being angry. I am very far from angry Haik, as you do not know me.

So you are not a taxpayer in Bolton and therefore cannot comment at meetings or have any bearing on the financial direction of our small town, it figures one like you would comment so heavily.

If you did live in my town and if you did have to deal with this on a daily basis, you would be fed up. How about I take a crap in your yard? Do you want your kids seeing me have sex? How about I block emergency vehicles from reaching your neighborhood?

Get real.

[Antler]

The Bolton Potholes are not a park, and our town should not bear any obligation to create amenities for visitors.

Labeling somebody a “NIMBY” only means that you don’t pay taxes in our town. We tolerate more than most communities and it isn’t unreasonable to ask visitors to have respect for the community and its residents! Simply put just park at the school people and pick up after yourselves!

[Haik Bedrosian]

You did nominate a selectboard member

Am I a political party in Bolton? You get real.

I thought BV_Local presented a smart opinion on the matter. So what?

I'm a swimmer. And I swim at the Huntington Gorge, not the potholes, but I'm concerned about access to swimming holes in general. That's my only interest in this matter.

Thanks for the invitation, but I have no desire to attend a Bolton select-board meeting.

[John T]

Haik,
I think the "anger is 'effecting' you negatively," as you seem to not acknowledge the most important points in my posts. You never answered if you would like people: having sex in front of your kids, defecating in your yard or holding up emergency services from reaching you. What you have implied is that you enjoy being on the fringe throwing barbs, you do not live in town and you like to swim.

Unfortunately, you seem to suffer from what many people who attend the potholes suffer from, INCONSIDERATION. See, you are "just a swimmer," but what you fail to realize is that there are people who live around where you like to swim. Those people pay taxes in the town you like to swim in. When those people's quality of lives suffer as a result of your interest in swimming, (or in others instances, publicly defecating, having sex in public, littering, blocking traffic, drinking in public/public intoxication, etc), you then become the problem.

I fully understand people wanting to congregate and have a good time... but don't you see an issue with the things I have listed? Are these actions o.k. with you, with others?

You sir, are in a fantasy land and I said earlier, get real.

[Antler]

Haik,

BV-Local seems to be a bit confused. In one post he/she claims that we need to create a parking area....guess what the school is right there. In another post he/she claims all we need is garbage cans...guess what local members in the community have already done that and it hasn't helped.

The point is that all of these suggestions are at a cost to the taxpayers of the town and why should we incur the cost when we could just as easily say "get out"?

By the way what does a political party affiliation have to do with attending a select board meeting?

[Haik Bedrosian]

"You sir, are in a fantasy land and I said earlier, get real."

I'm in a fantasy land, Mr. T? You are reading things in my comments that aren't there. You say I "seem" to be saying things, or that I'm "implying" things that I'm not. There's nothing I fail to realize, and if you think I'm an outsider "on the fringe throwing barbs" then why do you care if I acknowledge the points in your post or not?

Well, many people do display pitiful behavior. Sadly that's true. However I feel like beautiful places like the Gorge or the potholes are irresistible in the summer and will always draw visitors. If you want to just tell them to get out, then good luck with that, but it seems like trying to fight gravity. People want to be there. Maybe a sign would help. "No Sex, No Pooping, No litering, Park at the School Next Time."

Good luck Town of Bolton. I hope it all works out.

[Ally]

John T, I do in fact own a house. When I shopped for one, I thought to myself, ' is this house around an airport, a bar, a dorm, a college rental house, a busy road, a large factory, a meth lab, a brothel, or a jackhammer factory?' I did my research, hung around the house I eventually bought for days and hours on end, and found out that it was calm, peaceful, and relaxing at most times of the day and year. Apparently you bought your house sight unseen. Like I said before, the potholes were there before you arrived, and they'll be there long after you're gone. You are just slow to admit that you bought a house in a very busy summer spot, that thousands of tax-paying vermonters love to enjoy. Last time I checked John, you could come to Burlington, take a walk down church street and enjoy the waterfront without yourself being a Burlington taxpayer. No one is asking you to chip in to help take the trash out or light up the street lights in Burlington. Your delusions are clouding your judgement.

[holy cow]

Ally, you must live in the People's Republic of Burlington. There is a BIG difference between being an invited quest in a city that advertises for people to come and enjoy it's activities,And people that come to a town to poach on private property, park illegally, make a mess ,then leave not spending a plug nickel in town. Burlington collects a 1 percent sales tax and has many more taxpayers to help pay for your little nirvana you call Burlington.I for one do not spend 10 cents in that city unless it is out on the lake or for a show, or play that i am dragged to kicking and screaming.The folks in Bolton are under no obligation to give you a refund because you have not spent any money while you were enjoying someone else's property.This situation is like in Plattsburgh New York, Canadians will come on to your lakefront property move your stuff out of the way and have a picnic on your lawn and think absolutely nothing of it. When you confront them and ask "what the hell are you doing on our beach" they say looking bewildered "it is such a lovely spot we thought we would stay awhile" You meet all kinds and you Ally are one of them by the sounds of it.I will tell you the same thing "the PUBLIC PROPERTY AND BEACH IS DOWN THE STREET BEAT IT"

[John T]

Ally,
you also miss the point. This small town of 900 does not have the financial depth to support putting in toilets, parking and refuse removal for a handful of entitled brats, who do not spend a dime here, from out of town. Did you also know that the "potholes" fall entirely on private property? We, as a community have no right to direct people to park somewhere to access someone else's property. Even if we wanted to, we have no right to put a toilet or a garbage can on this person's property. See, in your cloud of utopian bliss, you fail to realize people OWN THINGS, and this chunk of land is one of them. If the owner wanted to install these amenities, that is entirely their choice.

I do not live at the potholes, but have to drive through the mess every day. Answer this... can I shit in your yard, leave condoms for your kids to find, swear at and threaten you when you ask me to leave your property? Block traffic from getting to your home? How about I camp out in front of your house for the summer? That is currently happening at the hands of your fellow swimmers to my neightbors. Do not bother to write back unless it involves an answer to my questions above.

Long story short, people who behave like animals are not welcome. We have no desire to shut it down, we just want attendees to RESPECT the neighbors and the land. And if that cannot happen, then maybe the worst case scenario comes to fruition and the land owner shuts it down under pressure from the state police who are constantly drawn from "important" work to deal with schmucks at the potholes.

Very simple set of rules that would alleviate this mess....

1) Don't park in the road. end of story, stop being lazy and walk your sorry ass from the school if the shoulder of the road is full.

2) Don't abuse the neighbors, stay off their property and be polite, YOU ARE IN THEIR FRIGGING COMMUNITY AFTER ALL.

3) Carry in, carry out.. that includes all garbage, recycling, the poop in your bowels, the condom you HAD to bang your girlfriend with, cigarette butts, EVERTHING YOU ARRIVED WITH.

4) NO FUCKING GLASS, how hard is that? Good beer comes in cans theses days.. Harpoon, Saranac.. Shitty beer too.

See, it's pretty simple, it almost sounds like COMMON SENSE, like a little simple housetraining.

[BV_Local]

@ JOHN T... you make some very good points above. I especially like the suggested set of rules, and would love to see them posted at the potholes (with some minor revisions to the language to make things G rated).

I totally agree that things are out of control at the potholes, and have been getting worse over the years. The parking situation is sketchier than ever, and I do think part of that has to do with half the available parking being gone this summer. I don't know how much was spent to put in the pickets that currently block the downhill shoulder, but I personally don't think that was money well spent. I also drive through that mess every day, and I don't like seeing sketchy Subaru guy any more than you do.

I do think improvements to the existing parking area (shoulders), the addition of signage, garbage cans, and restrooms would help with some of the current problems (in an ideal world where the town budget was not an issue), but fully realize those things might not be an option. I just don't think spending more of the town's tax dollars (which I've been paying for over 10 years) should be spent on temporary 'solutions' like rented cement barriers that I don't think will do anything to help with the problems we currently face.

Some people are inherently stupid, lazy and disrespectful. Lots of people who go to the potholes fit this bill perfectly... and this does suck for the locals. When it gets hot, people like to swim, and they'll keep coming to the potholes regardless. We just need to figure out a way to make it work for everybody.

[Antler]

Ally,

The neighbors around the potholes are constantly cleaning up after the hoards of visitors. Should those very same people be subject to abusive behavior and disrespect by said visitors? No, but rather than addressing the issues at hand you choose to tout your sense of entitlement and belittle members of our community for expecting a certain level of common sense and decency. What you fail or refuse to realize is that just because something exists doesn’t mean you have a right to it and just because you want something doesn’t mean you get it.

The reality is that people owned land and homes here before it was ever popular to swim here. Unfortunately some articles regarding swim holes made us a popular destination in recent years. Places evolve and change over time, so with any luck a shopping mall will pop up next to you soon.

[Duncan Galbraith]

Only the west side of the pot holes is on private property. The east side is on school property.I have lived in the affected neighborhood for over 35 years,owning a home here for 28 years. When i first lived here both sides of the potholes were owned by one person. He had a few simple rules for using the property-no glass containers - no dogs -take you trash with you.It was mostly local people and they respected his rules. Then the original owners of Bolton Valley used pictures of the place in there advertising-without asking the property owner if it was ok. The disregard for this property and the surrounding neighborhood has been going down hill ever since. From what was discussed at the July 12th Bolton select board meeting the town may be pursuing local parking ordinances with hopefully some large fines.

[Ted]

Bolton residents are sounding like total cry babies. NIMBY to the max here! Someone peed in the woods; whaaaa. Someone left their beer bottles behind; whaaa. The road is narrow because people are parking on it; whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. You either embrace evolution and change or it hits you like a brick over the head. Clearly Bolton residents are feeling the pain of this. What to do now? How about a solid plan to deal with the problems, rather than just a bitch session? This is when true leadership shines above all else. This is when embracing change and adapting to it win out. The residents sound like old cogers, sitting around on the front porch, reminicing about old times and how it 'used to be'. Time to start living in year 2010 Bolton people.

[Antler]

Ted,

I’ll bite, I mean after-all it’s very apparent your intent is to antagonize. What exactly does it being the year 2010 have to do with respect for other people’s property? Did I miss the memo where is now legal to park in the road, litter and harass people?

Just so we’re clear, can you complain if somebody shits on your lawn or will that make you a cry baby?

Evolution... thanks for the laugh. FYI name calling won’t resolve anything but it may fuel the flames to cut off any access.

[Flabbergasted]

ted, it's taking everything in my power not to call you an idiot. Are you kidding me? The BV residents love the pot holes and use them, they aren't talking about anything more than fundamental repect for your fellow man. This little blog is just another example of the much greater problem, which is a feeling of entitlement that a whole generation of people seem to have. This isn't rocket science here. Its easy, if you carried it in carry it out. Go ahead and pee in the woods, but if you have to take a crap-go home or to the gas station down the road. Are we really going to argue until the property owners put up a fence and completely stop all access. To the BV residents I say keep up the struggle and work toward a solution. To everyone else I say post your address so I can come crap in your driveway!

[Kim]

Let me tell you about the potholes. I lived next to the potholes, literally in the last house before them. For years we put up with people trying to park in our driveway, or turning around in our yard, which caused the level of our driveway to drop. Big deal right? Well it is if you have a tiny low riding vehicle. We also put up with constant defecation in our yard. Finding poop, tampons, condoms and diapers was a daily thing. Our personal trail to the potholes was pissed on so much that the vegetation turned yellow and stunk. We stopped using our own trail. One day,as I was doing dishes, I looked out my kitchen window to find an old couple having sex in my backyard. We put up with screaming and yelling from about 8 in the morning till the very wee hours of the night. People allowing their dogs to run free was always a stressful time for my dog on her own yard. You say put up a sign, well we put up several over the years and each one was ripped down in a matter of days. Signage DOES NOT work. As for the trash, WE picked it up for a long time, and when we got tired of doing so, my neighbor piled it on the rocks for all to see.....know what? People thought....that must be where the trash goes, and they added to it. Where do you think that trash went when it rained real hard that night? Down to the Winooski in to your backyard. As for being NIMBY's, well, it's in your back yard too. O. and seven days.....you brought so many more people to the potholes with your article last year....thanks, this little community really needed that. You guys need to think about the impact you will have before you run another secret swimming hole story. The solution to this mess is to yes, block traffic on the road, for the safety of everyone. Move the parking to the school and charge a couple bucks for parking, supply a port-o-potty and a dumpster, HIRE someone to police the area a few time a day. The money made for parking will cover the costs. These people are trashing VERMONT. This problem belongs to all of us, not just the folks in Bolton. Keep Vermont Beautiful. Keep Vermont Green!

[Kim]

Whoaaaa! Maybe Ted should spend some time cleaning up the trash at the potholes for a solid week!!! Maybe get a clue Ted....

[Kim]

Hey 7days...thanks for providing a map!!

[haik bedrosian]

People are disgusting.

[Ted]

Kim, did you actually go see the house on the Bolton access road before you rented/bought it? If you had, you would have noticed the beer bottles, parking mess, drunk locals, etc. You sound like a person who moved in next door to a nuclear power plant and then bitched when your kid grew a third arm. You are sounding strangely naive and very NIMBY. Thanks for the offer to come crap on my lawn, but no thanks. That's why I chose to live in a place where it doesn't happen. I will say it again, the potholes will be around long after Kim, John T, and BV Local are long gone. Right now you sound like a bunch of sniveling NIMBY crybabies. I can't wait to pee in Kim's yard the next time I'm there, and I'll be bringing a group of 30 additional cars of new visitors, all of whom want to check out the 'holes since reading how fun the place is. See you this weekend!

[Kim]

Ted, I NEVER offered to crap on your lawn! And, you sir sound like your one of the culprits, as well an ass! Way to be part of the problem Ted!!! You must be so proud! I will give you this Ted, your right, the potholes will be around long after I and other locals have come and gone, but will it be a place you want to swim at? Since you failed to get the message....this is EVERYONES problem! STOP TRASHING VERMONT. That includes you Ted!

[DP]

PHEW! This blog is hotter than the temps over the last few weeks! We, as BV residents, who DID do our homework when purchasing our places, are only asking for simple cooperation, respect for land and residents, and safety. 10 years ago when I purchased my home, this situation did not exist...At least not to the level to which it has risen.

As a new father, nothing scares me more than some unfortunate circumstance injuring my daughter because of a lack of respect. We only ask for people to not park on the street, not to leave trash, and to act with respect, courtesy, and maturity. Not difficult.

Please visit our area! Please have fun! Please visit the surrounding businesses, spend your dollars and help out the mom and pop shops, but follow the golden rule: Do unto others...

Parking barriers, signs, more police action, etc. sounds like a band-aid on a compound facture. Some of these emasures may be neccessary in the short-term in order to get our point across. This should be ONE STEP in a multi-step process to make improvements that we all desire. Why do we always turn to increasing security measures as a society? HUMANS need to be more responsible for our actions? Evolution is change that progresses a species forward in some fashion; the situation at the potholes is change, but not evolution. Yes, the potholes will be here for a lot longer than any of us...until the next period of glaciation anyway.

[BV222]

Well half the problem here is that the people who go to the potholes are complete rednecks, (NOT THE LOCALS, THEY'RE NOT THE PROBLEM) and don't give a rat’s ass about the environment. They bring their beer and hound dogs, and end up leaving both of them, literally. I'm sick of these people who don't give a crap about anything. One day there was a damn dog swimming around trying to attack people, and ended up injuring a little girl. Where was the owner? Out drinking beer of course. He didn't show up for another hour. I'm pretty sure there's a leash law in effect, and a law about littering in the state of VT. Littering carries a $500 fine, and I don't understand why the potholes seem to be the exception. As for all of us 'Nimbys' who complain, we're the ones who end up cleaning up all your damn trash, and calling 911 when some drunk redneck cracks his head open, which has happened a number of times. A single member of the community has committed their time and effort to clean up over 650 gallons of trash during the months of May, June and July, and July isn't even over yet! That shouldn’t be our job, its yours. That’s 650 gallons of littering. Us locals want you to come, just be f***ing responsible! Don't throw your damn diapers in the water (which happens all the time, and guess who picks them up?) and go crap on your own lawn. And all you people complaining about putting up trash cans, people did, and they went missing. And putting up a restroom? And you expect us to pay for it too, so all you nice, responsible visitors can keep coming and swear at us for being Nimbys and tell us we can’t park in our own driveways. I really, really want to make sure your needs are met, especially since you give absolutely nothing back. I honestly don’t care what you say; it’s not your land. I think you forgot the potholes are on private property, and it’s not our job to babysit your needs. You should be the ones pleasing us unless you want access taken away. Keep it up people, a meeting has been held. Clean up your act or get evicted. There's a fairly good chance that access to the potholes are going to be even more restricted in the future. Parking may be all but eliminated in an attempt to reduce the number of violations, but more likely there will be a police officer giving parking tickets and other tickets for littering and other violations. Hey, it’s your own damn fault. Maybe some of these people should come live on this street and see how they like it.

[Old neighbor of the pot holes]

I use to live next to the pot holes. When I moved in I thought it was going to be great. Then people went to the bathroom in front of our house, let their attack dogs run up to my toddlers, dogs go to bathroom in my garden, blast their boom boxes right in front of my house. People party there 24 hours a day and most nights a week. Then they get trashed, which is not big deal with me. That is until they get hurt, they assumed I was a 24/7 mergency response volunteer. I would rather live next to an airport runway then go through the pot holes experience again.

[dnj]

Wow. As an out of state visitor, who loves Vt, has spent quite a bit of time there with friends and family, and hopes to move there someday...I am truly disgusted at what is going on at the potholes. I have been to other swimming holes in Vt, never visited the potholes...but it was on my list...not so much now. Why do I want to hang out with a bunch of people who have no respect for their environment or community? I feel sorry for the residents that have had to but up with this crap, literally. What they have been dealing with is unbelievable. Who are these assholes trashing the place?? How hard is it to respect other people's property and the environment. Carry in carry out. ANYONE who visits the potholes should be respectful of adjacent property owners and the river. My hope is that the disrespectful lazy ones are really in the minority, and that most people do care about this place. As much as I don't think the town should have to provide porta pottys and garbage cans, maybe that is the way it will have to go.

[Jake]

Bolton is not alone in having these kinds of problems and facing these kinds of questions. The island of Maui, one of the Hawaiian islands, has faced these exact same issues with their waterfalls, after the increase of tourism and the increase of tourist awareness of those waterfalls. Many of them were used by the locals for decades, until they started coming up in tourist brochures.

These days, some of those waterfalls, many of which are also on private land, have been completely destroyed because of overuse.

As to the NIMBY complaints, that has nothing to do with private use of private property. NIMBY refers to an absurd amount of resistance by neighbors to (often) reasonable corporate, public, or governmental use of an area, such as building a highway, power facilities, or other construction or land use. Wanting to keep one's private property clean and healthy and safe has nothing to do with it.

[BV222]

Thankyou Jake and DNJ. All the people who are living next to the potholes are really asking is that you pick up your garbage. I really don't understand why that is a NIMBY complaint. It is a reasonable request and if not followed will soon be inforced. We want people to come, we have no problem with that, just pick up your trash and show so damn respect.

[Melissa]

I am so very disappointed to hear of the abuse of the land. I have heard wonderful things about this swimming spot and have seen beautiful photos taken by fellow Burlington friends that visited. Many people are very respectful of land, and appreciate natural beauty and ecosystems, as well as other people in the community.
I don't own a car so I am not able to travel to Bolton yet to swim there, but do hope that in the future I will still be allowed to.
I am grateful to know about these issues, as I would be concerned swimming in a spot where there is glass etc.. However I just wanted to add a bit of balance to the comments from a non-local saying that there are many of us that truly do love and respect land and hope that there is a way that this situation can be remedied so that the land can continue to be so generously shared with those who have gratitude for such a privilege.
Perhaps nearby a trashcan and a recycling can could be provided, and of course anyone who litters should receive a hefty fine... Bathrooms are nice but sound like they aren't feasable. I'm sure it's possible for people to go before they leave and purchase something in a local store and use their public restroom. This really should be that hard to figure out....