Newington council hears resident concerns about Willard/Robins intersection; staff to research DOT response

Multiple residents and councilors raised safety concerns about the Willard and Robins intersection after a power outage caused inconsistent signal behavior and driver confusion. A resident described a sequence of blinking lights and red signals that left motorists unsure of right‑of‑way.

Deputy Mayor Rod said Newington police reported the problem to the state Department of Transportation during the outage and that town staff, the police chief and the town engineer have discussed longer‑term solutions. "Newington police was on it and saying to DOT this is an issue you need to get stop signs up in both directions," the deputy mayor said, adding that staff will research options and report back at the council’s next meeting.

Council members noted that Willard/Robins is one of several intersections with recurring issues and urged collection of crash and near‑miss data to support requests to DOT. Several councilors suggested exploring temporary measures (updated signal timing or signage) and longer‑term plans such as a dedicated turn signal.

Separately, staff reported that the grant application for a feasibility study to preserve the historic structure at 272 West Hill was not selected; staff will revisit options with the property owner. The fire department building committee concluded that the Dicks Avenue site is unsuitable and will pursue design work and potential renovation at the current Fire Company 4 location, supported in part by a roughly $30,000 portion of a recent $50,000 implementation grant for high‑level design work.