Date: Fri 06-Oct-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

politics-bypass-sewers

Full Text:

Democrats Raise Issues Of Bypass, Main St Trees, and GOP Oktoberfest

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

As the campaign for the November election begins to heat up, the Democrats are

making political issues of the Main Street bypass road through Fairfield

Hills, the location of the sewer line on Main Street, and the Oktoberfest at

McLaughlin's Vineyard.

Earl J. Smith Jr, Democratic candidate for first selectman, this week

criticized Republican First Selectman Bob Cascella for his "lack of

leadership" on the bypass road which the State Department of Transportation

promised to build through the Fairfield Hills Hospital campus.

"In spite of the fact that there is a Republican first selectman, a Republican

representative to the General Assembly and a Republican governor, no firm plan

or date for the construction of this (bypass) road has been settled," Mr Smith

said.

Predicting that traffic problems are sure to occur as the sewers are

installed, Mr Smith said "an assertive leader would have used his influence

and persuasiveness to assure that the road would have been completed in time

to alleviate the upcoming traffic problems."

Mr Smith said that Zita McMahon, the former first selectman, succeeded in

obtaining from the state of Connecticut the promise of a bypass road on the

grounds of Fairfield Hills. "This was part of the settlement connected with

the building of the jail," he said.

Mr Cascella disagreed, pointing out that the agreement negotiated by Mrs

McMahon would have built a bypass road only from Route 25 to Nunnawauk Road

near the site of the state prison. That would have left a portion of the road

providing access to I-84, including a narrow bridge crossing the Pootatuck

River, impassable to truck traffic.

In October 1993, State Rep. Julia Wasserman and State Sen. Fred Lovegrove,

both Republicans, met with state officials and got them to agree to spend up

to $2.5 million more to extend the road all the way from Route 25 to Exit 11

of I-84, Mr Cascella said.

The first selectman said he has been in regular contact with the state ever

since he took office in December 1993. Once the state agreed to extend the

road to Exit 11, an impact assessment had to be done for the road, and an

environmental study was required in the wetlands area where the bridge will

have to be rebuilt. Permits had to be acquired from the State Department of

Environmental Protection and from the Pootatuck Game Club because the road

runs through club property.

Everything has been done except for the environmental study and that is nearly

complete, Mr Cascella said. The project is expected to be sent out for bid in

May 1996 with construction to begin later in the year, he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Cascella said, the town has asked the state to allow truck

traffic through the Fairfield Hills Hospital campus before the bypass road is

built to alleviate traffic congestion on Main Street when sewers are

installed. He said Fuss & O'Neill, the town's consulting engineers for the

sewering project, are working on a traffic plan which has been requested by

the state before this approval can be granted.

The Main Street sewers sparked another campaign issue when Mr Smith recently

added his support to the effort to "Save Our Trees."

He described the issue of whether the trees along Main Street will be damaged

by the sewer installation as one that affects more than those people who live

along Main Street. People buy homes in Newtown because of the quality of the

educational system and the quality of the environment, he said, making the

preservation of the trees an issue that "impacts on all our citizens."

Mr Cascella said he took the initiative last month to ask the State Department

of Transportation for permission to put the sewer mains under the street after

the Water Pollution Control Authority, an autonomous agency, failed to do so.

The WPCA had said there were only two routes for the sewer: in the front yards

or back yards of the houses on the east side of Main Street. This week

officials from the town and the WPCA met with DOT engineers to discuss the

feasibility of putting the sewer main in the bed of the street which is a

state highway.

Democratic Selectman Gary Fetzer, who is Mr Smith's running mate, and Bunny

Madden, former Democratic Town Committee chairman, have criticized the

Republicans recently for holding their Oktoberfest fundraiser at McLaughlin

Vineyards. The vineyard does not have a special exception zoning permit needed

to hold commercial events such as tours and wine tastings.

Bunny Madden said that two years ago the Democrats cancelled a planned event

at the vineyard when Bill Nicholson, the town's zoning enforcement officer,

told them the vineyard was not in compliance with the law.

Republican Town Committee member Barbara O'Connor said Morgen McLaughlin, the

vineyard owner, was not charging the RTC for the use of the property so there

was no violation of the zoning ordinance. The $17.50 charged for admission to

the October 2 event went entirely to the RTC, not to the McLaughlins, Ms

Connor said.