We the residents of the Glenbrook Community in Stamford, Connecticut - who reside on the neighborhood streets including Midland Avenue, Courtland Hill Street, Fairmont Avenue, Tremont Avenue and Field Street, call upon our Mayor Michael Pavia, our Director of Operations Ernie Orgera, and our City Engineer Lou Casolo for their urgent attention to and resolution of a matter of great importance to the residents who live on these streets and that affects their quality of life.

Four years ago, after decades of delay and decay, our neighborhoods were restored with new sidewalks, new curbs, and newly paved roadways.  The residents here have waited a long time for this restoration, as it significantly aids in noise reduction (from the large trucks that travel and the increased passenger traffic that travels our streets to access I95), created a safer walking environment, and increased our property values.  The roads were in pristine condition.

A project approved by the City's Engineering department changed that.  Northeast Utilities/Yankee Gas is allegedly engaged in an infrastructure upgrade, which should have been planned to coincide with the re-paving four years ago, but wasn't.  We have seen the aftermath of the Gas Company's efforts, reducing recently re-paved roadways, curbs and sidewalks in our neighborhood to rubble.  It is deplorable, it is a waste of tax payer dollars, and it is not something the residents of the Glenbrook community should have to stand for.

It is our opinion that the project parameters are flawed, and that THE CITY OF STAMFORD HAS BEEN ENTIRELY TOO LENIENT with the Utility Company with respect to this project:

1) There was NO formal advance communication with residents prior to permit approval, or before construction started in the neighborhood.  Meetings have only occurred as a result of resident outcry, and answers have been slow.

2) The City is only holding the utility to a centerline to curb paving standard, when the entire street is being cut into.  In many cases the streets were just repaved 3-4 years ago, and the poor 1/2 paving practices are setting up the streets for instant decay.

3) The City Engineer's Office and the Utility are ruining and negating the taxpayer's investment in the roads that were recently restored, and not restoring them to their original condition, which had been identifed as a promise in writing to the citizens of Glenbrook by the Utility.

4) The City Engineer's Office appears to be more readily addressing the needs of businesses in this mixed zoning area over the interests of the residents of this community.   

We call upon our elected officials to represent us fully, and to MANDATE nothing less that the FULL AND COMPLETE CURB TO CURB RESTORATION of the roadways destroyed by Northeast Utilities/Yankee Gas and the inability of the City Engineer's Office to provide proper enforcement. 

We ask that by no later than May 5th, 2011 the residents of the Glenbrook Community be presented with the City's mandate to the Gas Company on this project specifically stating that nothing less than full restoration of the pavement, sidewalks, and curbs by the end of the summer of 2011 will do.  

We are not opposing the project.  It is long overdue.  We are opposing the ability of local utility companies to trash our neighborhoods, invalidate taxpayer investments in our city's infrastructure, and destroy the property value of our neighborhood.   We are also officially calling for better long term infrastructure planning to avoid a travesty such as this in the future.  

As residents and as taxpayers, we expect our street and walks fully restored once the project is completed, and nothing less will suffice.

Thank you for your prompt and immediate attention to this matter.   

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