Valley Independent Sentinel

Do You Live On One Of Oxford’s ‘Worst’ Roads?

by Ethan Fry | Feb 12, 2012 9:47 am

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Posted to: Oxford

The first ever meeting of the Oxford Roads Commission began Feb. 8 with an address from First Selectman George Temple that did anything but lower expectations.

“This could be the most important board in the town right now because we really have a lot of problems with our roads,” Temple said. “I want these roads to be done, and done right.”

Temple spent nearly a half-hour discussing problems with the town’s roads and potential fixes. He made the subject a big part of his campaign for First Selectman, during which he said he’d create a roads commission early in his administration.

The Board of Selectmen appointed the commission last month, and though the first item in its charge is to evaluate every road in Oxford, Temple and Wayne Watt, the town’s acting director of public works and an advisory member of the commission, suggested making Silano Drive, a heavily traveled road between routes 188 and 34, a priority.

The new commission had a worksheet revealing roads considered to be Oxford’s “worst.”

The worst roads are:

• Barry Road

• Cheyenne Road

• Christian Street

• Cold Spring Drive

• Great Hill Road

• Old State Road No. 67

• Riggs Street

• Seth Den Road

• Tram Drive

• Wyant Road

The complete list is posted at the end of this story.

Other roads Temple listed as in need of attention were Rolling Hills Drive, Towantic Hill Road, and Christian Street.

But no matter how much prioritizing the commission does, Watt pointed out, road quality will only improve if the town can foot the bill for fixes. To that end, Temple said this year’s mild winter, for which the town is “very, very fortunate,” could free up some money in the budget for repairs.

“Instead of applying it to salt, we could apply it to asphalt,” Temple said, adding that in preparing the town’s next budget, “there are things that I may do to even get you more money.”

“Could you cough up a million dollars for us to start with?” Watt asked.

“Let me talk to my wife,” Temple replied, conceding the town does need to support road improvement more, “even if we had to bond it.”

“I’m not one to borrow for roads,” he went on. “It’s like borrowing to mow lawns. (But) our roads are so bad we need to do something here.”

Temple also said the town may save money by banding together with other municipalities to share equipment, saying chief executives he knows are open to the idea.

“Everybody I’ve talked to is extremely reasonable with that. We don’t have to be an island on this thing.”

Since the commission’s meeting Feb. 8 was its first, there was little business to attend to besides naming officers, establishing a schedule of meetings, and vowing to become more familiar with the town’s nearly 120 miles of roads before the next meeting.

Glen Pearson, a paving contractor, was elected unanimously as the commission’s chairman, and Alan Goldstone, who is also a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, will serve as vice chairman. The commission’s next meeting will be March 14 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall.

In addition to evaluating all of the town’s roads and prioritizing their need for improvements, the selectmen directed the commission to allow residents to discuss town-owned roads at its meetings and establish a long-range road paving plan. The commission would also have the sole authority to name or re-name roads in town.

Oxford Roads List

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