Public Safety Issue—

Residents Question Town Proposal To Connect Two Dead-End Roads

By Andrew Gorosko

A town proposal to connect the dead-end Little Brook Lane to the dead-end Turkey Hill Road to allow through traffic to travel between the two streets has drawn criticism from some area residents.

Such a road interconnection would unsafely increase traffic on Little Brook Lane, a street that has road width deficiencies and sight line problems, according to those protesting a road connection.

But town officials say such a road link is needed for public safety reasons and would provide improved access to homes in the area by police, fire, ambulance, and the town highway department.

The issue came to a head at a recent Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) session at which the town served as the agent in seeking a zoning variance on behalf of Anthony DeLucia of Bridgeport, who owns land at 37 Little Brook Lane. The requested zoning variance would create a legal mechanism to link Little Brook Lane to Turkey Hill Road.

That August 2 ZBA session drew several dozen residents from the Little Brook Lane area who are concerned about the prospect of increased traffic on Little Brook Lane if the two streets are connected. ZBA action on the zoning variance application is expected at an upcoming session.

A town-sponsored informational session on the proposal to link Little Brook Lane to Turkey Hill Road is scheduled for 7:30 pm Wednesday, August 23, at Town Hall South at 3 Main Street.

In a letter to the residents of nine streets in the area that would be most directly affected by a road interconnection, Public Works Director Fred Hurley states that if Little Brook Lane is not connected to Turkey Hill Road, the town may alternately seek to link Little Brook Lane to Turkey Roost Road.

At the August 2 ZBA session, Mr Hurley said “It’s a public safety issue,” adding that local emergency services supervisors support linking Turkey Hill Road to Little Brook Lane. The road interconnection would be about 800 feet long and have a grade of about 9.5 percent.

Mr Hurley acknowledged that linking the two roads would create traffic issues for Little Brook Lane residents.

Until a decade ago, the two roads were interconnected, after which that connection was cut when residential land was subdivided in the area and a turnaround circle was created at the end of Little Brook Lane.

Connecting the two roads would provide emergency services workers with a secondary access via Little Brook Lane to the neighborhood that includes River Run, Nearbrook Drive, Mountain View Drive, Turkey Hill Terrace, Toddy Hill Drive, and southern sections of Turkey Hill Road, according to Mr Hurley.

Turkey Hill Road crosses above the Pootatuck River. In the event that the river should flood over Turkey Hill Road, as it has in the past, the proposed road connection would provide the town with an alternate accessway to that neighborhood, which would otherwise be isolated, he said.

Resident James Smith of 2 Little Brook Lane told ZBA members that people who live on the dead-end Little Brook Lane do not want the additional traffic that would travel on that street if it were linked to Turkey Hill Road.

Robin Buchanan of 15 Little Brook Lane said Little Brook Lane is narrow and it is difficult for two vehicles to pass while traveling in opposite directions. There are blind curves, she added.

“I don’t see where opening up the Little Brook Lane cul-de-sac would make it safe for anyone, especially the 28 families who live on Little Brook Lane,” she said. Such a road link would increase traffic on the street, she said, in stressing her opposition to the road link proposal.

Creating a link would not be in harmony with existing conditions on Little Brook Lane, but would increase traffic, she said.

Neil Holme, of 28 Little Brook Lane said that a road link would increase traffic volume and traffic speeds in the area. Mr Holme said he expects that the road connection proposal stems from the desire to improve town emergency response times to the area. He asked whether improved response times outweigh the dangers posed by increased traffic through the area.

Steven Tramposch of 35 Little Brook Lane said a road connection would result in “a big shortcut” in the area. Such a connection would cause increased traffic in a hazardous travel area that has poor sight lines, he said.

Michael Ouimette of 24 Turkey Hill Road said the road link would not be in harmony with the area.

Richard Mariani of 32 Little Brook Lane said asked why it took the town ten years to pursue a public safety interconnection of the two roads that were formerly linked. Mr Mariani asked whether the town has had a traffic study performed to gauge the impact of such a road connection.

On August 16, James McFarland of 45 Turkey Hill Road said, “No one can dispute the harmony one feels living in a cul-de-sac neighborhood, and I personally thank Legislative Council member Jeff Capeci for bringing this to the attention of…First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, who arranged the August 23 information session. I encourage everyone concerned to attend the session.”

Municipal Support

In its application to the ZBA, the town includes letters from several emergency services supervisors who support connecting Little Brook Lane to Turkey Hill Road.

 Local police patrols would be more effective and more frequent in the area, and emergency response times would be enhanced if the two roads were connected, according to Police Chief Michael Kehoe. A road connection would allow police to respond most directly to an emergency, he wrote.

Joseph Tani, the town highway department manager, wrote that he supports a road connection, noting that it would provide the town with improved access to the Route 34 area from its Turkey Hill Road highway garage. 

Botsford Fire Chief Wayne Ciaccia wrote that a road connection is definitely needed, especially in cases when the Pootatuck River floods over Turkey Hill Road.

Bill Halstead, the town fire marshal and emergency management director, wrote, “Having access from different directions is a great asset during any emergency situation…As has happened before, should the bridge on Turkey Hill [Road] become impassable, many homes would be cut off from emergency personnel and equipment.”

Newtown Hook & Ladder Fire Chief Ray Corbo wrote, “Any neighborhood of this size that could be isolated…should always have a second means of access.”

Joseph DelBuono, who heads the town’s emergency communications center, wrote that without a link between Little Brook Lane and Turkey Hill Road, there would be delays in emergency response times.