The East Hartford Gazette

Other Street Work Is Planned for in The Meadow District

If present plans of the Street Board are carried out, Pitkin Street from Sullivan Drive to Main Street will be completely re-built this summer. The Town has a credit of $68,083.20 in the State Aid Fund of the State Highway Department, and the Street Board plans to use this sum for the work planned.

Property owners along certain portions of Pitkin Street have been approached relative to granting the Town small parcels of land needed to widen certain spots to the minimum of 50 feet wide. Verbal agreements have been made with these owners, under which they will turn over to the Town, free of charge, all such small strips found necessary to the project. All that remains to be done on this phase of the work is for the Corporation Council to execute the proper deeds for the transfer of titles.

It is mandatory under law that the Town has a clear title to all lands or rights of way on contemplated State Aid projects before the Highway Department will grant its approval.

The next step of the Street Board will be to have a resolution prepared, which will be presented to the Town Council, said resolution to contain all the pertinent facts relative to the project. If approved by the Council, the resolution together with all plans and specifications will be submitted to the State Highway Department for their approval. It is expected that all of these steps will be taken by the Street Board in the near future so that actual construction can be started this spring.

Another project planned for this year is the improving of several roads in the Meadow District. These roads were the subject of considerable debate at the January meeting of the Town Council.

A delegation from the Meadow asked that something be done to eliminate the holes and other bad conditions existing in the district. They asked that a special committee be appointed to study conditions and make recommendations for improvements. The Council voted instead to refer the matter to the Street Board and the Director of Public Works. Events proved that this was the right move, for it later developed that the Board and the Director of Public Works had been working on the problem for some time.

Money for this project will also come from the State, probably from the Unimproved and Dirt Road Fund, number 190F. East Hartford has approximately $17,000 allocated to it in this account.

According to a letter received by Council President Torpey the State Highway Department is also planning to resurface the Connecticut Boulevard, if certain conditions are met.