Culvert Changes Displeasing to Some Enfield Residents

ENFIELD, CT — A "full-depth reconstruction" project on Bridge Lane, including road work and sewer replacements, has been ongoing for four months, but some residents are upset about a newly-installed guardrail and concrete wall which they claim will lower property values on the street, as well as altering "the beauty of the neighborhood."

The new additions on both sides of a culvert through which a brook flows have prompted former resident Leah Hurst, whose mother still lives on the street, to start circulating a petition throughout the neighborhood, which reads:

"This petition is to reface the current culvert concrete head wall and guardrail on both sides of Bridge Lane. The current structure is not acceptable or appealing to the residents on Bridge Lane and changes the property value of the street."

Hurst said she was told Friday by new Director of Public Works Donald Nunes the guardrails are permanently installed; however, "they may possibly be able to come up with some sort of stone front that can be done in the spring."

"This is unacceptable," Hurst said. "The people of the neighborhood are very displeased, and I am getting their signatures and opinions to help to get resolution."

Currently, 34 neighbors have signed the petition, according to Hurst. An online version may be found at www.ipetitions.com.

"I know there will be changes, but we don't want to wait until the spring to have it completed because I am concerned it will be forgotten," Hurst said, adding town council members Bob Cressotti and Joe Bosco are working with the residents "trying to get things changed."

Hurst said lack of communication is a source of frustration for the neighborhood residents.

"There have been several proposals regarding the head walls that are currently there, but we were never advised on what the final project was going to look like and the residents of Bridge Lane were never given any idea or option to vote on the final structure," she said. "Although there are updates on the Town of Enfield website, there was never any information regarding the culvert and how the project was going to look once completed."

An informational meeting with citizens was held at Enfield Street School in June, where the reconstruction work, undertaken by Baltazar Contractors, was shown to consist of numerous facets:

• Removal of existing roadway pavement and base material
• Removal of driveway aprons
• Substantial drainage improvements
• Installation of roadway base material
• Installation of curb
• Installation of roadway pavement and driveway aprons
• Loam and seed of all disturbed areas

Bridge Lane, which runs from Route 5 to the Connecticut River, consists of 49 houses, most constructed in the 1950s. The brook and pond area also contains the new streets of Meetinghouse Lane and Rivercliff Lane, which feature some luxury half-million dollar properties.

Photos courtesy of Leah Hurst

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