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Vestal residents press board for action over dust, noise and access from Bunhill construction
Summary
Several Bunhill Road residents told the Vestal Town Board that dust, mud and alleged permit violations from a large nearby construction project have damaged property, raised health concerns and left some worried about emergency access; the board said engineers and DEC are involved and promised follow-up.
At a town board meeting, Bunhill Road residents urged the Vestal Town Board to take stronger action after months of dust, mud and traffic from a nearby construction project.
Nick John Marino, a Bunh Hill Road resident, told the board the contractor had failed to install promised erosion controls and that ‘‘when they water the road, we're fighting mud, dirt, dust, everything coming in all the driveways. The cars are filthy. We're at four over $400 keeping the cars clean. $500 pressure washing the house.’’ He said crews had been working on holidays and that heavy trucks and insufficient temporary pavement were causing ongoing damage and health risk.
The heart of residents’ complaints was both health and property impact: Jean Johnson said the ‘‘dust and dirt is so thick. It's in the roofs. It's in everything,’’ and Karen, who gave her address to the board, said she was worried about ambulance access if the sewer work blocked routes. Bill Stewart reported seeing an uncovered dump truck from the site, noting New York State imposes fines for uncovered loads.
Several speakers asked the board for concrete remedies, including installing temporary blacktop in front of driveways, more on-site supervision, consistent enforcement of permitted work hours, and a special meeting with town engineers so residents could get direct technical answers. Nancy Schuman urged a dedicated forum with engineers present, saying technical questions were repeatedly referred and left unresolved at regular meetings.
Chair acknowledged the complaints and described ongoing oversight: ‘‘Town code enforcement is on site almost every day. Our town engineers are on top of it and making visits all the time as well. They’re consulting with DEC and they’re going to make some more improvements,’’ the chair said, and offered to meet residents after the meeting for follow-up. The chair did not provide a timetable for specific remedies during the public session.
Residents’ requests for immediate fixes and clearer communication remain unresolved; the board said it would continue daily inspections, coordinate with DEC, and follow up with the residents directly after the meeting.
The board adjourned after routine business and members offered to remain for further conversation with residents who stayed. No formal enforcement action or schedule for remediation was announced during the meeting.
