The members of the Brandt Beach Improvement Association are hoping this is the year residents will approve their article to get four dirt roads paved in their neighborhood. But with a price tag at $447,096, that fight is likely to be an uphill battle once again.

Association president John Haley said this year is the third time the article for the paving of Pinehurst Avenue, Kerwin Avenue, Cedar Point Avenue, and Oaklawn Avenue has been on the Town Meeting Warrant.

“It’s always about the money, and we understand. But we’re also a huge tax paying community,” said Haley.

With the majority of the community retired, the poor quality of the roads makes it difficult for the elderly to traverse. “They keep washing out,” said Haley. “There are so many old people down here that can’t walk down the roads.”

Town Administrator Mike Gagne says he understands the reason for the request, but paying for the road repairs out of the tax levy or stabilization fund would be a hit to the town coffers.

“If it were to come from the tax levy, it would mean that they would have to have $447,00 work of cuts. If you took it from the stabilization fund, basically the town’s only savings account, it would take one-third of that money. That’s not fiscally prudent,” Gagne said.

He also said there are many highly traveled roads in “deplorable” conditions. “It would be all of the money we’re going to spend on the paved [roads] for the whole fiscal 2014. I think it’s hard to reconcile,” he said.

The Town Administrator's suggestion for the gravel roads is to get them on the Highway Department’s priority list. Gagne said it was his opinion that “we should not be appropriating money and funding something outside of the plan that we’ve had in place for three years.”

Highway Surveyor Barry Denham said there were pros and cons to paving the roads, which will require hiring an engineer and permitting through the conservation commission. “I can maintain them with a front loader and a little bit of dirt every once in a while. Once a road is paved, then you have to maintain the pavement, and it’s an expensive ordeal,” said Denham.

If Town Meeting voters do approve the paving proposal, it would take almost half a mile off the town’s 4.5 miles of unpaved roads.

Denham, irrespective of town budgets, said there are positives for the project. “It’s better for the environment. There’s less runoff.”

Plowing through snow and slush would also be much easier. “You can’t scrape a gravel road down to bare pavement,” said Denham.

Back at Brandt Beach, Haley was optimistic. “I think we’re getting closer. We’re diligent at Town Hall. It’s like anything else in politics, the one who shows up the most ends up with something, even if they just do two.”