Neighbors leery of Easton's bridge plans
TONY SPINELLI tspinelli@ctpost.com
Article Launched: 09/25/2007 11:00:54 PM EDT
EASTON — A revised plan to replace the Wells Hill Road bridge with a single-lane structure got a bumpy reception when it was unveiled Monday night.
Town officials showed the alternate plan to members of the Planning and Zoning Commission at Staples Elementary School.
Though scaled down from a proposed two-lane span that neighbors earlier opposed because they feared it would attract too much traffic and harm the area's rural character, the new design still didn't sit well with neighbors.
The span over the Aspetuck River has been closed since being damaged in an April 2006 rainstorm.
Some in the crowd of about 25 people were displeased the alternate plan includes a bicycle and pedestrian lane.
"I do believe this bridge could be converted to two lanes in the future," neighbor Dorothy Stacum said of the revised plan.
She asked the P&Z to keep the neighborhood's history in mind.
Wells Hill Road is designated a scenic road under a town ordinance designed to preserve aspects of the town's scenic appeal.
"It was a cow path. Let's not make it into a commuter highway," Stacum said.
Neighbors expressed surprise by the addition of a pedestrian and bicycle path, even if the roadway is only a single lane.
The pedestrian lane would give the span a total width of 22 feet, with 14 feet for the single lane for vehicles, according to Ed Nagy, the town's public works director.
Nagy said the lane is needed for pedestrians because the span is used by people
But neighbors were wary.
"We're afraid we're going to be back in three years with a request to have two lanes on it," said Karen Kingsley.
"My fear is there will be a head-on collision," said Erica Andrews, another neighbor.
Another alternative to the wider bridge would be to redirect some traffic so the bridge is not used as much, First Selectman William Kupinse said at the hearing.
Replacing the damaged bridge could cost $450,000. The state Department of Transportation offered funding of roughly $86,000 toward that price for a two-lane span.
The P&Z must weigh in on the bridge proposal because it is on a scenic road and warrants special consideration, said Rob Maquat, the panel chairman.
A decision could be made as soon as Oct. 18, depending on how quickly the Conservation Commission issues an opinion.
"The sentiment from the audience was very clear," Maquat said Tuesday.
Tony Spinelli, who covers Monroe and Easton, can be reached at 330-6361.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Al Barney
At 89, Easton man is alive and picking
TONY SPINELLI tspinelli@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 09/25/2007 11:16:49 PM EDT
Al Barney stands atop a cart in the middle of Lakeview Orchards and talks about apples with a real fondness.
"Apples have good fiber, and vitamins," he says. "They're the best thing for you. They have a lot of juices that are good for your stomach." At nearly 89 years old, Barney knows his apples. His muscular, tanned hands have been working these orchards off Route 59 in Easton since his father bought them in the 1920s.
He is a living legend in this town rich in agricultural history, some say, because he continues to buck the trend of turning farmland into subdivisions.
"He's amazing. And he does it all himself," says Dolly Curtis, a town resident and cable television public access program host who regularly buys fruit from
APPLE PICKING VIDEO
Al Barney picks apples from his Lakeview Farm in Easton!
Barney.
In an era in which pick-your-own dominates, Lakeview Orchards is a throwback. You won't be carrying a bag and stretching on tiptoes for apples here.
"This is me picking them," Barney says as he twists a big Ida Red from its stem and drops it into a metal bucket hanging from his neck. When he's filled the container, Barney empties it into a wooden bin on his apple-picking cart, which he created himself. The apples drop with a thud, not unlike the sound of little bowling balls hitting the floor.
This day the air is rich with the scent of ripe apples.
"I don't even notice the smell of the apples any more because I'm around it all the time," Barney says. "But I guess it does smell pretty good."
He points to an old Ford
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Model A pickup truck and talks about how he used it for trips to Bridgeport to deliver apples to grocery stores until the 1950s.
That's when he opened his own farm market at Lakeview Orchards.
"My prices are cheaper than a grocery store, pound for pound," Barney says, explaining he doesn't sell by the pound, like a store does.
Rather, he sells apples in 8-quart, 16-quart and larger containers.
"It works out to about 99 cents a pound," Barney says. "That's cheaper than the store. And my apples are fresh."
Lakeview also features peaches and pears, in their seasons, not to mention vegetables and melons, all for sale in his farm store on Stepney Road in Monroe, just over the line from Easton. People look forward to visiting local orchards and fruit stands during the appropriate seasons, says Derek Buckley, Easton's town clerk. "It's nice to bring the kids and enjoy yourself."
In Barney's orchard, many of the trees are 16 feet tall, which is the genesis for his apple-picking contraption: a special wagon he built that is equipped with a lift. It's gasoline-powered and rolls up and down the rows of neatly spaced trees.
"That's why I don't hire anyone to help me. I don't want anyone falling off of here and getting hurt," Barney says.
He does, however, get a hand from his son, David, and daughter, Joan.
His wife, Dorothy, helped until an injury forced her to stop. Barney, himself, has had a bump in the road of health, as well, surviving a heart operation that he says extended his life.
What keeps Barney going, he says, is just that the orchards give him something to do. And he's one of those people who's always doing something.
"In the winter, I like to build machines," he says, pointing out that his apple picker is one of them. "I'm not the type to enjoy a vacation trip." While Lakeview Orchards is in Easton, its farm store is at 76 Stepney Road in Monroe.
Courtesy: The Connecticut Post
TONY SPINELLI tspinelli@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 09/25/2007 11:16:49 PM EDT
Al Barney stands atop a cart in the middle of Lakeview Orchards and talks about apples with a real fondness.
"Apples have good fiber, and vitamins," he says. "They're the best thing for you. They have a lot of juices that are good for your stomach." At nearly 89 years old, Barney knows his apples. His muscular, tanned hands have been working these orchards off Route 59 in Easton since his father bought them in the 1920s.
He is a living legend in this town rich in agricultural history, some say, because he continues to buck the trend of turning farmland into subdivisions.
"He's amazing. And he does it all himself," says Dolly Curtis, a town resident and cable television public access program host who regularly buys fruit from
APPLE PICKING VIDEO
Al Barney picks apples from his Lakeview Farm in Easton!
Barney.
In an era in which pick-your-own dominates, Lakeview Orchards is a throwback. You won't be carrying a bag and stretching on tiptoes for apples here.
"This is me picking them," Barney says as he twists a big Ida Red from its stem and drops it into a metal bucket hanging from his neck. When he's filled the container, Barney empties it into a wooden bin on his apple-picking cart, which he created himself. The apples drop with a thud, not unlike the sound of little bowling balls hitting the floor.
This day the air is rich with the scent of ripe apples.
"I don't even notice the smell of the apples any more because I'm around it all the time," Barney says. "But I guess it does smell pretty good."
He points to an old Ford
Advertisement
Model A pickup truck and talks about how he used it for trips to Bridgeport to deliver apples to grocery stores until the 1950s.
That's when he opened his own farm market at Lakeview Orchards.
"My prices are cheaper than a grocery store, pound for pound," Barney says, explaining he doesn't sell by the pound, like a store does.
Rather, he sells apples in 8-quart, 16-quart and larger containers.
"It works out to about 99 cents a pound," Barney says. "That's cheaper than the store. And my apples are fresh."
Lakeview also features peaches and pears, in their seasons, not to mention vegetables and melons, all for sale in his farm store on Stepney Road in Monroe, just over the line from Easton. People look forward to visiting local orchards and fruit stands during the appropriate seasons, says Derek Buckley, Easton's town clerk. "It's nice to bring the kids and enjoy yourself."
In Barney's orchard, many of the trees are 16 feet tall, which is the genesis for his apple-picking contraption: a special wagon he built that is equipped with a lift. It's gasoline-powered and rolls up and down the rows of neatly spaced trees.
"That's why I don't hire anyone to help me. I don't want anyone falling off of here and getting hurt," Barney says.
He does, however, get a hand from his son, David, and daughter, Joan.
His wife, Dorothy, helped until an injury forced her to stop. Barney, himself, has had a bump in the road of health, as well, surviving a heart operation that he says extended his life.
What keeps Barney going, he says, is just that the orchards give him something to do. And he's one of those people who's always doing something.
"In the winter, I like to build machines," he says, pointing out that his apple picker is one of them. "I'm not the type to enjoy a vacation trip." While Lakeview Orchards is in Easton, its farm store is at 76 Stepney Road in Monroe.
Courtesy: The Connecticut Post
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