Frost heave repair and additional lighting are two improvements planned for Route 6 within the next few months, town officials stated at a Select Board meeting on Aug. 24.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be undertaking work to fix frost heaves on the stretch of State Road near the Brazilian Grill for the rest of the summer and into the fall, Select Board Chair Frank Gracie III noted at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Town Administrator Shawn MacInnes stated that he has signed off on a purchase order to install additional lights on a dark stretch of road between the Moby Dick Motel and businesses near the Reed Road intersection. 

A pedestrian succumbed to his injuries three days after being struck by a car in that area in the evening on July 16.

Select Board member Shawn McDonald also asked to meet with state officials to discuss the transitional housing program that sees those at risk of becoming homeless moved to the motels along State Road, noting that the number of police responses to the area is “concerning.”

“You’re talking over 500 [police responses] in a three-year period,” he said, citing data in an email from Police Chief Brian Levesque. “That’s a lot. That’s about one every less than two days. That’s not a good thing.”

“I want to speak to the state about how they go about choosing places to house people from out of the area into Dartmouth,” he stated. “I don’t have a problem with them doing that — I think it’s an excellent program. But I want to know their criteria.”

McDonald added that he would like to speak to the operators of one establishment in particular because it “seems to be a problem.” 

“I want to know what they plan on doing to provide a safe environment,” he said. “This is something that we need to address.”

At the same meeting, MacInnes noted that an apparently abandoned house at 40 Sable Ave. — which has been the subject of residents’ complaints — may fall in line with proposed changes to the abandoned property bylaw expected to come before Fall Town Meeting in October.

The changes will be presented to the Select Board for comment as part of the town meeting warrant, he said.

Board members noted that the town is currently unable to do anything about the derelict property because the taxes on it are paid up.

“The taxes are all being paid in cash, so we don’t even have a name,” said Gracie. “We’re kind of stuck.”