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Butterfield Road Residents Ask For More Radar

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By Andrew Gorosko

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In light of complaints from some Butterfield Road residents, police plan to step up their speed enforcement efforts along that narrow, rustic road which links Currituck Road to Hanover Road.

A group of Butterfield Road residents attended an October 5 Police Commission meeting to express their concerns about speeding along the two-mile long connector road. A half-mile long section of the road is unpaved. A 1,200-foot-long section of that unpaved area is a steep hill.

Lynn Willie of 53 Butterfield Road told commission members that area residents have many concerns, especially about speeding drivers who use the road as a shortcut between Currituck Road and Hanover Road. Drivers ignore road signs, she said.

Paving the road would only make matters worse, she said.

Town officials are considering paving the unpaved section of the road to resolve a recurring drainage problem, which results in silt entering a stream that feeds Pond Brook. Although the unpaved hill has drainage catch basins and storm sewer lines, water rushing down the hill forces sediment into the sewers which discharge the sediment into the stream. The Conservation Commission has issued the town a cease-and-desist order to stop repeatedly rebuilding the unpaved hill in a manner that allows any additional siltation of the brook.

“You have to slow these cars down,” Ms Willie urged Police Commission. Seventeen area children wait at a bus stop along the road, she said.

Rita Willie of 51 Butterfield Road said police are not present at the times when speeders are driving through the area, generally from 7 to 8:30 am and 6 to 7:30 pm.  Drivers tend to drive too fast on the unpaved hill, she said, adding that conditions are especially dangerous in the morning. She said she fears there will be a fatal accident in the area.

Richard Seibert of 73 Butterfield Road urged police to evaluate Butterfield Road safety issues and makes recommendations to the selectmen. He urged police to act quickly; saying the road may be paved soon.

Andrew Willie of 51 Butterfield Road said siltation of the brook never was a problem until the town started using low-grade fill to repeatedly rebuild the hilly section of roadway. Paving the road would make it easier to speed, he said, adding he would hate to see school buses use the road. Mr Willie said residents don’t want the road paved. “It’s one of the most scenic roads in Newtown,” he said.

Penny Meek of 40 Butterfield Road said police have permission to park in residents’ driveways to use radar to catch speeders. When people are fined for speeding, they will slow down, she said.

 Melanie O’Connell of 64 Butterfield Road said “It’s dangerous,” in urging added speed enforcement in the area. She suggested building speed bumps to deter speeding. “It’s definitely a major problem. It’s just not safe,” she said.

Response

Commission Chairman James Reilly said any paving of Butterfield Road is a decision for the selectmen to make, not the Police Commission.

Police will study road safety and post appropriate signs, he said.

Police Captain Michael Kehoe said “Obviously, we target anyone who speeds on those roads, whether it be Butterfield Road or another road.” Fines for speeding range from $90 to $200, depending upon the extent of the violation, he said.

During the coming month, police will position radar speed units on Butterfield Road as much as possible to learn the effect it has on speeding, Mr Reilly said.

Police Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr, suggested that the commission allocate 45 minutes of police overtime daily to place radar units along the road. He explained past steps police have taken to deal with the speeding problem there. A past enforcement campaign resulted in 11 speeding citations being issued, three of which went to Butterfield Road residents, he said.

Chief Lysaght offered his comments as an audience member at the Police Commission meeting. Three months ago, Police Commission members placed him on administrative leave until the commission’s job termination action against him is resolved. Capt Kehoe is running the police department in Chief Lysaght’s absence.

First Selectman

First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal said Wednesday Butterfield Road “probably is going to have to be paved.” The town is facing the cease-and-desist order from the Conservation Commission, he noted. Paving the hilly section of the road would solve the siltation problem in the brook, he said. But, he added, alternatives to paving are being explored.

Maintaining the unpaved hilly section of the road has proved to be very expensive for the town, requiring repeated regrading, he said.

Some Butterfield Road residents have asked to have the unpaved road section paved, he said.

Based on comments he has received, Butterfield Road residents living near Hanover Road want paving done, while those people living nearer Currituck Road want the unpaved section to remain unpaved, the first selectman said. Any paving work would be done within the next several weeks, he said.

 Mr Rosenthal said he will meet with Butterfield Road residents to discuss their concerns.