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Eli Avenue mural faces fence and permitting hurdles; commission seeks city and state coordination
Summary
The commission reported that the Eli Avenue mural’s installation, planned for mid-September, is delayed by fence damage, vegetation and uncertain ownership (city vs. Metro-North); staff will pursue permits and repairs with DPW, Metro-North and CT DOT.
Chair Mark Allen updated commissioners on the Eli Avenue mural project, saying artist Germaine’s design and panels are ready but that physical and ownership issues threaten the planned mid-September installation. Allen described trees and vines growing through the chain-link fence and a section of fence that appears to be caving toward tracks: "There’s a section of that fence, which is sort of caving in towards the tracks," he said.
Allen said he met with a Metro-North track worker who suggested access to the track side of the fence might be possible with a permit; Metro-North/CTDOT staff are sending a permit application. He also reported contacting the city DPW (Joe McKenna) to determine whether the city or the railroad owns the problematic fence and had emailed Alicia King, now a CT DOT deputy commissioner, to ask for help.
Why it matters: the mural is a large, public-facing project (Mark said the installation uses 20-foot panels) and commissioners emphasized the need to resolve infrastructure and safety concerns before installation. Allen said the goal is to complete remediation so installation can proceed before the end of 2026, ideally before Thanksgiving, though that timetable is uncertain.
Next steps: staff will pursue the permit application with Metro-North/CTDOT, DPW will confirm ownership and needed repairs, and the commission offered to schedule site visits for commissioners and stakeholders to review the fence and installation plan.
