Street Committee Meeting Wrap-Up: June 7

The Board of Aldermen's Street Committee held a special meeting Tuesday evening at to discuss the status of various road repair projects. Chairman Eric McPherson along with Committee members Stanley Kudej and Lynn Farrell spoke with Director Paul DiMauro on the following items:

• George Sender's property on Roberts Street off of Shelton Avenue: Sender said that after a crew paved Roberts Street, the road was about four inches higher than the sidewalk, so the crew dumped soil over the sidewalk and seeded it as to level things out. "This means that underneath that grass is pavement, and I'm concerned that when the soil washes away, someone will complain to me because I'm the property owner," Sender said. After viewing pictures, DiMauro said that the practice is "OK to do as long as holes are made in the pavement" beneath the new soil. However, neither Sender nor DiMauro know if the company did this on Roberts Street. DiMauro said "that should not have been left like that," and that he would look into it.
• Guardrail repairs on Meadow Street, Soundview Avenue and Nells Rock Road: DiMauro said dented and damaged guard rails can be fixed once the city puts a claim in and the insurance company prices the work. He added that though many residents are concerned about the guardrails, "these kinds of items don't belong [on the Street Committee agenda]." Instead, all calls and matters concerning guardrails should go directly to the Public Works office so they can be processed more quickly and efficiently. "Call me, call my office if you see items of that nature. The department can react a lot faster," he said. DiMauro's phone number is (203) 924-9277 and e-mail: p.dimauro@cityofshelton.org.
• Beardsley Road drainage: DiMauro reported that the drainage project is complete. 670 feet of pipe was installed in and under the road to aid in proper water removal. He said it was a "fairly major project" in which a stone hammer was used to a great extent and proved to be extremely helpful. "We are looking into buying a stone hammer for future jobs," he said.
• 2011 Pavement Rehabilitation Project: Shelton residents are fully aware that many of the city's roads need to be repaved and fixed. The Street Committee has debated the best plan of action for tackling the issue for months. "I don't want the process of selecting which roads to repair to become a political argument," DiMauro said. In the past, it had been suggested that certain roads get precedence because of high traffic, damage severity, etc., but DiMauro said this isn't necessarily the most efficient or cost-effective plan. "A program is coming together," he said. "We will eventually have a list of what needs to be done over the years and in what order." He added that Public Works expects to spend $1.7 million in improvements over the course of the fiscal year.

• In the past, alderman John "Jack" Finn, who was absent from the meeting, has presented a list of streets he would like to see included in the 2011 Pavement Rehabilitation Project, based on his own observations and concerns from residents. That list includes: Astoria Lane, Dickinson Drive, Grandison Place, Margaret Drive, Poe Place, School Street, Webster Drive, Beardsley Road, Dimon Road, Ledgewood Road, Martinka Drive, Revere Road, Stendahl Drive, Biltmore Road, East Village Road, Lenore Drive, Nicholdale Road, Robert Frost Drive and Village Drive.

• Canfield Drive & adjoining streets: DiMauro said these roads were paved earlier this spring using the milling machine purchased by the Public Works Dept. last year. He said the milling machine cut the project time in half, proving to be a valuable investment.
• Roads eyed for immediate repair: DiMauro said Grove Street going from the adjoining Harvard Avenue was currently being worked on. Also, from Center Street coming up past all the way to Coram Avenue is to be milled and paved.
• Guardrail on Shelton Avenue: McPherson raised concerns that this structure is too short. DiMauro said it is a state matter so he can't make plans for repair, but he did offer that a fence accompanying the guardrail is an option the state would likely consider.