The town of Seymour will be taking some sort of “legal action” regarding a botched 2013 paving job in the Colony Street area, First Selectman Kurt Miller announced Tuesday (July 15).
Background
The roads — including Colony Street, Patton Avenue, Omar Street, Wycliff Terrace, Falbo Drive, and Woodcrest Road — were chip-sealed last fall.
The process — during which a layer of liquid asphalt is put on the road, then gravel on top of that — is cheaper than fully repaving a road, and is meant to extend its use in the short term.
But as the New Haven Register reported in May, the owner of the company that performed the job, Seymour Sealing, said the gravel got kicked up last winter by snow-plowing.
That left only the oily asphalt residue behind.
As a result, dozens of residents of the area told officials, the residue was tracked into their homes, damaging their floors and carpets.
They also said it stuck to their pets’ claws and caused damage to their vehicles.
And they expressed concerns over whether breathing in the materials could pose health hazards.
A layer of “stone dust” put down since hasn’t helped much, either.
Click the link below to read comments about the situation residents posted on the Valley Indy Facebook page on May 30.
The town’s website says any residents who would like to report damages can do so by calling 203 – 735-6028 or sending an email to [email protected].
The website also has “material safety data sheets” for asphalt and stone dust.
Article continues after May 29 story from WTNH.
‘Legal Action’
During a Board of Selectmen meeting Tuesday, Miller said he met with officials from Seymour Sealing Friday (July 11), along with the town’s director of public works and the town engineer.
“After the meeting, it is clear that the town of Seymour will need to take legal action to address the problems going further,” he told the board.
He didn’t elaborate, citing the advice of town attorney Richard Burturla, with whom he said he’ll be working closely over the coming weeks “to move that process forward.”
After the meeting Miller declined to comment specifically on the legal action the town is contemplating, again citing Buturla’s advice.
He said the company did put a layer of “stone dust” on the affected roads about a month ago in an effort to improve the situation.
“They put down the stone dust to try to absorb the oil as it has heated up,” Miller said after the meeting. “There’s been a tremendous amount of oil buildup that has been coming through.”
But that step only “slightly” helped the condition of the roads, he said.
Miller said he would keep residents — who are still asking questions about the project — updated and announce more information in the coming weeks.
