Jun 6, 2007
Redding
Georgetown fence riles neighbors
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by MAGGIE CALDWELL
mcaldwell@thereddingpilot.com
A temporary fence that is being installed around the construction site at the former Gilbert & Bennett wire mill has riled some neighbors to the property who wish to see the continued progress of redevelopment.
In a letter to The Pilot this week, Brad Muscott, a resident of the neighborhood near the site, said the new fence will hamper the view of members of the community who “will no longer be able to watch the progress as the old factory site takes its new form.” The Georgetown Land Development Company is redeveloping the site into a pedestrian-friendly village with a mix of residential, commercial and retail uses.
Mr. Muscott blames Landmark Academy, a preschool located on Portland Avenue to the north of the construction site, for the fence’s installation.
During demolition activity at the site earlier this year, administrators of the school contacted representatives of the Georgetown Land Development Company out of concern that dust and other materials from the site could be blown onto the school grounds.
“One day it was an extremely windy day and very dusty outside... It just made us think about what could be a potential future issue with the dust. We thought about how we could be proactive to make sure our environment could be as safe as possible,” said Ann Hirsch, director of the school.
The company is erecting an approximately 12-foot chain-link fence that will be covered in colored plastic to block the wind, said Mr. Muscott. Over the past several weeks, workers have been coming in to install the fence, blocking one of the lanes on Portland Avenue as they work in the mornings, he added.
“From what I understand,” said Mr. Muscott, Steve Soler (Georgetown Land Development Company president) said he’d put up a fence.
“I’m sure Mr. Soler made the decision to put up fence for a lot of different things,” Ms. Hirsch said. “I think that the Georgetown Land Development Company is trying to be a good neighbor and provide a safe environment for the people of the entire community. It’s not just our school on this road. The fence is not intended to detract from the site or keep people from seeing what’s happening... It just provides the safest environment for everybody.”
Mr. Soler said the fence is only temporary and its primary purpose is for security reasons during construction.
“There will be other fences installed in other areas of the property for security reason as well,” Mr. Soler said.
His company received permission from the town’s zoning commission for installation of the fence.
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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