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Neighbors oppose closing Main Street as Wells seeks to incorporate road into plant campus
Summary
At a March 24 public hearing, residents opposed a request by Wells Enterprises to discontinue a section of Main Street to create employee parking and staging for a new plant; the company and city officials said the change improves truck maneuverability and employee safety and that six homes were purchased for the expansion.
The Common Council opened a public hearing March 24 on a proposal to discontinue part of Main Street between Marsden Street and the property at 820 Main Street after an application from Wells Enterprises. Director DeJoy told the council Wells is investing nearly $500,000 in a new manufacturing campus and asked the city to discontinue the street segment to create a secure campus for employee parking and to improve truck staging and deliveries.
“It's best, for safety of employees,” said Michael Metzger of Metzger Veil Engineering, who told the council Wells currently has just over 250 parking spaces and expects to add 187 more under the plan, bringing capacity to “just over 450” spaces. Metzger said six homes were purchased in the project area and some demolished, and that easements will be preserved for existing infrastructure.
Neighbors said the change will increase traffic and create safety and quality-of-life problems. “I've lived there 55 years … I'm totally against it,” said Robert Welch of 42 Newton Street, who raised concerns about more traffic on Newton Street and residents from the Stell home walking in the roadway. Robert Riscoe of 45 Newton Street said increased traffic would affect sunlight in his living room and reiterated opposition to the Park Avenue extension tied to the project.
Council members asked about traffic studies and expected impacts. City staff said historical counts at the Norfolk Southern crossing along Main Street are in the neighborhood of 1,000–1,500 crossings per day, and Metzger said the city and the company had worked with the public-works department during construction to understand traffic flow. City staff also said Newton Street is eligible for federal-aid highway funds and a consultant is exploring state funding to add at least one sidewalk, though any streetscape work would be a separate project.
The council closed the hearing and referred the discontinuance matter to the planning board as Resolution 30-2026, which the council later adopted in the meeting’s consent votes.
