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Residents press town for help after safety, maintenance concerns on private Park Drive
Summary
Residents told the Chaplin Planning & Zoning Commission that rutted, unplowed Park Drive is a safety hazard for elderly neighbors and emergency access; town staff said title searches show no clear owner and the town cannot maintain a private road, and options include finding an executor or forming a residents’ association.
Cindy Verraneault, who lives at 8/10 Park Drive, told the Chaplin Planning & Zoning Commission at its May 8 meeting that the unpaved road has ‘‘huge ruts’’ and is unsafe for elderly residents when not plowed, and that trash is not picked up because ice makes the road impassable. She asked the commission to identify the legal owner and find a solution.
Zoning Enforcement Officer Jay Gigliotti said staff previously researched access and ownership and found no clear owner; some deeds include language that users proceed at their own risk and several parcels are owned by a local entity identified in the minutes as Fin & Fur. Gigliotti said earlier complaints included concerns about emergency access.
Resident Amanda Ordazzo, of 14 Park Drive, said an executor for parts of the parcel has declined involvement and that original deeds from the 1960s allocate responsibility for maintaining each parcel’s half of the road, creating a situation where a small number of owners would bear significant out-of-pocket costs. First Selectman Juan Roman told the commission the town cannot assume maintenance of a private road but offered to help by providing documents from the title search and by asking the executor to relinquish responsibility if possible.
Commissioner Randy Godaire said residents could form an association to pool resources if the road were turned over to them, and Commissioner Doug Dubitsky (who joined the meeting online) said property owners have the right to maintain the road themselves. No formal action was taken by the commission; the first selectman provided the title-search documents to residents to pursue next steps.
