Meriden committee hears residentsconcerns as city advances preliminary design of central loop trail

Meridens Public Works and Parks & Recreation Committee heard lengthy public comment and an engineering briefing on the citys long-term linear trail plan, with neighbors near Baldwins Pond warning a proposed routing would intrude on private yards and harm neighborhood safety and privacy.

At the meeting, residents said the proposed trail would pass within about 20 feet of some homes. "This is not a minor right of way issue. It's a fundamental question of respect for people's homes and privacy," said Lisa Jenko, who said windows facing the trail require shades to preserve privacy and that her household has experienced package theft and unwanted visitors.

City Engineer Brian Ennis summarized the Linear Trail Master Plan prepared by Stantec and incorporated into Meriden's plan of conservation and development in 2012. Ennis described past state-funded trail projects and current work in design, and he said the section drawing the most comment is still in preliminary engineering. "We currently do not have any money set aside for construction," Ennis said, adding that preliminary design work is funded in part by a $111,000 city allocation and separate grants for design phases; construction would require additional state grant awards or council-authorized bonding.

Ennis said alternatives had been studied previously (including Atkins Street and Westfield Road) and were eliminated for technical reasons, but he said the design team is doing geotechnical borings, wetland mapping and preliminary layouts now. He explained the typical process: reach about 50% preliminary engineering, hold public hearings and notify abutting property owners, address wetlands permitting where required, and then pursue construction funding.

Several councilors said the city should not treat preliminary design as a foregone conclusion and asked that the council and public be able to revisit the route after the 50% design is complete. "The best time to have those discussions is when there's enough preliminary design done so there's an understanding of costs and decision points," Councilor Scaramuzzo said. Representative Michael Quinn (state representative), who attended the meeting, agreed that Baldwins Pond and North Wall Street present unique challenges compared with other trail sections.

Some residents said they had been told construction money had already been allocated. "I talked to an engineer and one of the zoning managers, and they said the decisions had already been made and the government money is already allotted to the city," said Bob Buza. City staff and Ennis disputed that characterization and clarified the city has secured funds for design work but not construction, and that the council would vote before any construction funding is accepted.

What happens next: Ennis estimated about a year to complete design before asking the council to consider construction funding. He said the project team expects to be ready for public meetings at the 50% preliminary engineering milestone, likely in spring next year, at which point the council could review alternatives and make decisions about whether to proceed to final design and construction.