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Glocester council authorizes demolition of condemned property at 1272 Putnam Pike; directs DPW to study transfer-station litter mitigation
Summary
Town council voted to demolish a condemned building at 1272 Putnam Pike and authorized the public works director to proceed with removal; the council also directed DPW to explore fence options and a public education 'code red' to reduce litter at the transfer station and nearby lake.
The Glocester Town Council on Jan. 16 voted to authorize demolition and removal of a condemned structure at 1272 Putnam Pike and instructed the director of public works to proceed with necessary actions, including disconnecting electrical service.
Council members said the building had been inspected and condemned by the town’s building official and that Rhode Island Housing and potential private developers had examined the property but were not in a position to restore it. Council discussion noted structural instability, hazardous attic conditions and lead concerns; council members said the town does not have funds to fully restore the building and that remediation estimates discussed in previous hearings had been substantial.
The motion approved by the council authorized the DPW director to take whatever action necessary to demolish and remove the building and foundation and to disconnect electric service. The vote was unanimous.
Separately, the council discussed persistent litter problems at the town transfer station and directed Public Works Director Gary Tremmel to research aesthetically appropriate fence options or other barrier approaches to reduce windblown trash that reaches nearby Lake [name not specified], and to return pricing/options to the council. The council also asked staff to prepare a public-education campaign (referred to as a “code red”) to increase awareness about littering and to coordinate with the police for enforcement or warnings when appropriate.
Council members emphasized balancing effective litter-control measures with aesthetics so any barrier would not resemble a security or chain-link perimeter. The motion asked the DPW director to develop options that would slow or capture litter before it leaves the transfer station area and to provide cost estimates at a future meeting.
Why this matters: the condemned structure posed safety and liability risks and required prompt action; the transfer-station litter problem affects waterways, nearby homes and town appearance, prompting a combination of infrastructure and outreach responses.
The council approved both motions unanimously and asked DPW to report back with estimated costs and design options for a fence or similar mitigation by a future meeting.
