Date: Fri 15-Sep-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

edink-sewers-Main-St-trees

Full Text:

Finally, A Third Option For Main Street

First Selectman Bob Cascella announced this week that the town would finally

ask the state Department of Transportation for permission to place sewer lines

under Main Street - something townspeople, and Main Street reisdents in

particular, have been asking for for a long time.

Those affected directly by the sewers on Main Street have been told repeatedly

by the town's Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) that there were really

only two routes for the trunk lines on the east side of Main Street - in their

backyards and in their frontyards. Neither alternative sounded very good to

the homeowners because the right-of-way in each case would require sacrifices

of them that were not required in other areas of the sewer district, where the

trunk lines have been or will be put under the streets. In their backyards,

the lines would destroy landscaping and limit their options for additions to

their homes or other outbuildings or amenities, like swimming pools. In their

frontyards, the lines will require the removal of many mature ornamental trees

and will damage and possibly destroy several ancient maples, which greatly

enhance the street's historic ambience.

So instead of limiting itself to two objectionable alternatives, Newtown

finally will have information in hand that will allow it to reasonably assess

the merits of a third option that will help preserve both the character of

Main Street, valued so highly by all townspeople, and the property rights of

the people who live there.

We applaud Mr Cascella for taking the initiative on this matter. We hope also

that the WPCA, having voted first for a backyard option, then for a frontyard

option, will not be too proud to consider whatever new information comes from

the town's request to the state DOT. For now, it should postpone design work

(and payments for that work) for its frontyard plan until it has all the

information in hand about the under-street alternative.

If it has to reverse itself again, opting finally for an under-street path for

the Main Street sewer line, the WPCA should not worry about looking foolish or

fickle. Making the right choice in the end, even after a couple of false

starts, reflects far more wisdom and civic integrity than sticking with a bad

decision that degrades Main Street and earns them the resentment of property

owners and the town as a whole for years to come.