By Joseph Edgerton
Staff Writer

How do you sell a road that nobody wants to buy?

This is the question facing Richard Paris, owner of PAL Custom Home Builders, who owns a part of the road along with three lots he is trying to build homes on.

A homemade barrier blocks access to one end of Jill-Eric Road in Allenstown. PAL Custom Home Builders owns a section of the access route and is trying to sell it to the town. (Joseph Edgerton Photo)

Paris recently closed one end of JillEric road, an access route often mislabeled as "Jillerick" or "Jillerik" road after the Allenstown Planning Board did not come to terms with him on his request to change the lot lines to allow just two homes and the road to co-exist.

The road was created by residents as an access route for emergency services after a fire swept through the area more than 15 years ago. Residents built the road in 1990, but the deed was never transferred to the town. Then, just before Memorial Day this year, the town accepted the road as a second means of egress, according to former town administrator David Jodoin.

Now Paris owns a section of the road, which sits directly in the middle of one of his three lots.

"I never wanted three lots," he said. "I wanted to adjust the lot line, build two houses and keep the road. But the town gave me three lots, and told me to go ahead and build."

The controversy began the weekend of July 9 when Paris set up a chain marked with fluorescent pink ribbons and a sign saying that the road was closed.

"We got more action in 20 minutes than we did in the past 18 months," he said. "The road is for sale. I'm not holding it hostage. If I can't give it to the town, I'll sell it."

In addition, Paris is frustrated at the slow pace of dialogue between his company and the town.

"I feel like a circus dog jumping through a hoop," he said. "Every time, it's something new. I go to a meeting and one page is mysteriously missing from my three-page application. All I want is a lot line adjustment."

Allenstown has a different perspective of the situation, however.

James Rodger is the chairman of the Allenstown Planning Board, and said the board is trying to avoid prejudgements. "We invited him (Paris) in for a conceptual review on July 6 because he had information missing on his application," said Rodger. "We wanted to get the missing information from him before the final review. We can't make a decision during the concept review."

Paris said the board is delaying construction.

"As far as I'm concerned, we are approaching the final review," he said. "We've been trying for 18 months to sort this out, and we feel that we're being unnecessarily delayed."

Residents have tended to blame PAL Custom Home Builders as well as the town officials.

Helen Kamp is a resident on the road, and, like her neighbors, is concerned with safety.

"If I need the doctor, they have to drive all the way around," she said. "I have heart problems and high blood pressure, so it's a real pain that part of the road is closed. It's inconsiderate."

Kamp added that people have been inconsiderate towards the builders as well.

"Someone took the ribbons off the chain, but we have no idea who it was. People have aggravated the builders too."

Dennis Meuse is another resident concerned with safety, but said that the town is to blame as well.

"It's within their (PAL's) rights to close off the road, but it's still a matter of courtesy," he said. "I understand that they have absorbed a financial loss by trying to consolidate their lots and allow the road as a right of way, but the residents are suffering, not the town."

Meuse said that he was returning from a weekend away from home and stopped 10 feet from the chain.

"I didn't hit it, but I was close," he said. "The police and fire departments would prefer that the chain wasn't there, but the town attorney has advised them that it's not a town road."

Meuse added that PAL had sent out a letter to residents asking for money to legalize the the transfer of a right of way.

"It read more like an extortion letter to me," he said. "The builders wanted us to foot the bill for the cost of the legal work, which would be between $3,000 to $5,000."

He also said, "It has this tone like 'If we don't get reimbursed, we'll just go ahead and build on the road.'"

Paris said that his company is interested in keeping the road open and building on two lots instead.

"We're trying to work with the residents here," he said. "The town told me it would be a simple lot line adjustment, and there's nothing simple about it.

He added, "Our intentions have always been to keep the road open, and (the papers) say that we're pitting ourselves against the residents. That's misleading. We're trying to work with them."

Paris also commented on the financial loss resulting from construction delays.

"It's been nothing but money going out. They want me to rip out the concrete footing I've put in," he said. "When do you sell a house? When it's sunny, or when the snow is waist high?"

The residents have mixed feelings about the road remaining closed.

"I'm just concerned about the safety aspect here," Rachel Durst said. "It's going to take fire engines and ambulances longer to get here. But legally, if he owns it, there's nothing to be done."

"If it's going to be closed, then it's going to be closed," said Susan Meuse. "Personally, I never had a problem with it closing, but neither the town nor the builders ever notified us."