A Gravel Construction truck dumps stone onto the Lamoille River’s bank from the parking lot behind the Hardwick Inn Monday, Sept. 9, where an excavator has removed a retaining wall. The stone creates a path for excavators to travel down to the river bank.
An excavator builds a temporary road along the Lamoille River’s bank from an access point behind the Hardwick Inn to Mike’s Service Center next door, where repairs are to begin on the building’s foundation which was eaten away by this July’s flooding. Fred Gowin with Gravel Construction Company of Hardwick said the building’s owners Mike and Tom Brochu, took care of all the necessary permitting for work in the river to proceed.
Gravel Construction’s excavator builds a temporary road to reach the foundation of Mike’s Service Center. Hardwick Zoning Administrator Kristen Leahy worked with the Brochus to obtain the necessary Army Corp of Engineers permit, a state Streambank Alteration permit and to confirm their exemption from a town permit due to the circumstances surrounding flood repairs and mitigation.
Two Gravel Construction excavators shuttle concrete blocks to build a new retaining wall behind Mike’s Service Center, September 10. Mike Brochu said he’s applied to a federal Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program program for businesses and nonprofits that suffered physical damages from flooding events, which he expects will cover 50 to 75 percent of the estimated $40,000 to $50,000 repair bill.
An excavator begins to build a wall behind Mike’s Service Center with concrete blocks Tuesday, Sept. 10. Fred Gowin with Gravel Construction said the project is going about as he had expected with no surprises so far. The temporary road along the river will be removed when the work is completed.
Norma Spaulding
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
