Councilor: South Windsor Engine Company One Driveway in Need of Repair

At first glance, Town Councilor Kevin McCann didn’t think there was an issue with the driveway at Engine Company One of the South Windsor Volunteer Fire Department.

But when he got out of his car and looked at the area where the fire apparatus exit the station, he noted ruts in the pavement that went at least 6” deep, certainly not ideal for expensive, life-saving equipment that must navigate the area while going out on emergency calls.

Town Manager Matthew Galligan said Monday that it would cost about $30,000 to fix the area in question.

It’s a repair that McCann said while the project needs to be planned carefully and properly, it should be done as quickly as possible, given the importance and purpose of the equipment in question.

Specifically, McCann said that a fire truck could break an axle or be damaged in some other way when responding to a fire.

“It needs to have top priority for any paving project in town,” McCann said in a telephone interview Thursday. “We need to take care of that; we need to fix it.”

It is unclear whether the recent bonding that was approved for road repair at referendum would cover the Engine Company One driveway repaving. But

McCann said that the funds could also come from contingency from the current year’s budget or could be inserted into capital improvements for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

Regardless of where the funding comes from, McCann noted that the project should be done before the winter, as snow and ice accumulate in the ruts and can’t be plowed out.

“It’s not that difficult a project,” McCann said. “I hope we get it done this spring.”