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Committee recommends abandoning paper road through 140–144 Amity Street; matter goes to full council
Summary
The Meriden Public Works, Parks & Recreation Committee voted at the committee level to recommend abandoning a paper roadway that crosses 140 and 144 Amity Street. Residents raised winter-access and property-value concerns; staff said the property would revert to the landowner and any future development must go before the Planning Commission.
The Meriden Public Works, Parks & Recreation Committee voted at its May 19 meeting to recommend abandoning a paper roadway that runs through 140 and 144 Amity Street, a measure the full City Council will consider at its next meeting. The committee chair said the item had been before staff and the planning commission previously and that the committee vote places the resolution on the council agenda for final action.
Residents who live near the top of Hull Avenue and Button Street urged the committee not to remove the potential access. "I'd love to see the road go back through," said Scott Roden of 45 Hull Avenue, citing steep winter conditions and trouble getting up the hill during storms. Ron Miranda of 92 Button Street described days when residents "couldn't get up our hill for 2, 3 days," and said a second access would improve safety and reliability.
Director of Public Works John Lawler gave the committee background on the parcel and process. Lawler said the planning department initiated the abandonment process in 2022 and the Planning Commission already voted to recommend abandonment; the current action at committee is to forward the item to the full City Council. Lawler described the feature as a "paper street that doesn't exist," and said the owner — identified in staff materials as Suzette Herrick — owns both sides of the former right-of-way. He said the city has no active plans to develop the strip and that any future development would require standard Planning Commission review.
Committee members asked whether abandoning the paper road would change municipal responsibilities such as plowing. Lawler said the area is not currently an active plow route because the street does not exist in its improved form and that "nothing would change with regard to that" if the committee vote proceeds.
The committee motion to adopt the resolution carried in a roll-call at the committee level. The chair noted the matter will be placed on the full City Council agenda for a final decision there.
What comes next: the City Council will take the final vote at its next regular meeting; staff and the Planning Commission will review any future development proposals if the landowner applies for changes.
