Despite Mixed Opinions, Southington Council OKs New Sidewalks

SOUTHINGTON, CT — With Flanders Road residents' opinions mixed on sidewalks there, Southington officials last week easily gave the go-ahead to build them.

At its last meeting on April 8, the Southington Town Council unanimously approved building new sidewalks on Flanders Road between Darling and North Main streets.

Currently, that stretch of road features several gaps in the existing sidewalks, making it treacherous for pedestrians navigating that part of town en route to their destinations.

The decision to build sidewalks there was met with opposition — and some support — from 12 property owners who would be impacted by the project.

Some of them were at a public hearing before the vote last week, with others submitting notification of opposition or support for the plan.

Flanders Street resident Jane Pisani said she was against the idea of sidewalks in front of her property.

"It will necessitate ripping up my stone wall, pulling up four trees and bushes and it would go right through two gardens," she said.

"So I'm very much against the proposal. It's been that way. We've lived there a long time — 20 years. It hasn't been a problem. People walk across our grass. It hasn't been a problem."

Southington Town Council Chairman Paul Chaplinsky said the town does have an 8-foot, right-of-way easement that allows it to install the sidewalks there.

But he and Southington Town Manager Mark Sciota also said the town will work with impacted property owners to minimize any negative conditions caused by the project.

For example, Chaplinsky and Sciota said, the job of moving a stone wall, a high-labor endeavor, would be undertaken and supervised by the town.

Once the sidewalk goes up, maintenance of the sidewalk in front of a home is the homeowner's responsibility, especially regarding snow and ice removal, Chaplinsky said.

"That's not just the sidewalk, that's any sidewalk in town," Chaplinsky said regarding local ordinances on sidewalk maintenance.

While some impacted residents said they opposed the idea, others supported it, indicating so on standard, written statements submitted to town officials.

Sciota said property owners were notified of the plan last month by the Southington Public Works Department.

Ultimately, Southington officials quickly said "yes" to the measure.

"It's been discussed for years and I think the ultimate safety of our students walking to school makes sense. Most of the roads have sidewalks. These areas that don't? I'm not sure why they weren't put in," said Southington Town Council Vice Chairman Michael Del Santo.

"I understand some neighbors are upset and didn't want it. But we, unfortunately, have to make hard decisions, sometimes, for what's best for the town," Del Santo added.

"It does facilitate a safer walkway," Chaplinsky said of the sidewalks, alluding to this project improving access to busy parts of town from that neighborhood, namely public transportation and shopping options in town.

For the minutes of the April 8 Southington Town Council meeting, click on this link.