Don Sackheim

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    85 Hemlock Rd New Haven, CT, 06515, USA - Westville

    Can someone at the city please indicate how to contact United Illuminating about a threatening tree, either through the city, or by providing information about how ordinary citizens can do so?

    The UI website is useless -- there seems to be no option available whatsoever for reporting a tree issue; and a phone call not only provides nothing to select, but then gets cut off midstream by the automated system.

    During last summer's storm Isaias, an enormous oak, right adjacent to a major utility pole opposite the intersection of Hemlock Road and Birch Drive, lost its entire back half, leaving all the tree weight now at the front -- towering over that pole. The tree now not only is injured and compromised, but is poised to go in only one possible direction -- directly down onto the pole (as well as into the Hemlock/Birch intersection) -- when it breaks again or falls.

    The tree guys who cleaned up the mess from last summer's break said this tree is a disaster just waiting to happen. Not only is the pole part of the main line of wires that run up Hemlock, it also is the point from which a line branches off onto Birch, running to much of the rest of the neighborhood.

    Considering the pressure being put upon utilities these days to become more pro-active about anticipating downed wires, it is inexplicable that UI makes it difficult to report a likely problem. The tree is between 85 Hemlock and 95 Hemlock. The utility pole is number 8047.

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    189 Laurel Rd New Haven, CT, 06515, USA - Westville

    There are still two small items to be completed at the (terrifically) reconstructed intersection of Marvelwood Road with Hemlock and Laurel Roads, mostly finished last fall:

    1) In the roadway at the end of Laurel, the crosswalk still needs to be painted;

    2) Likewise, at the same spot, a stop line and the word "Stop" need to be put onto the roadway.

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    Traffic/Road Safety Acknowledged
    5-130 Hemlock Road; 30-45 Birch Drive New Haven, Connecticut - Westville

    The "Transportation, Traffic & Parking Department - Manager of Operations, Process Improvement" has just closed a request from 2015 for a review of inadequate traffic signs along Hemlock Road and at the intersection of Hemlock with Birch Drive.

    Contrary to the implication, this issue is neither "historical" nor resolved.

    A Complete Streets application was filed with the city in 2012 to address traffic issues regarding Hemlock Road, Marvelwood Drive, and Birch Drive. In the fall of 2016, the city organized a neighborhood meeting and walk-around to discuss the proposals, which was attended by the Alder, the City Engineer, and, if I remember correctly, also by a representative from Transportation,Traffic & Parking, although not by the Director, who at the last minute could not be there.

    At the conclusion, there was great optimism that the city was taking a genuine interest. But there has been no action since.

    The major thrust of the Complete Streets application was to address traffic safety. One part of this was to correct inadequate signage that results in a) cars swerving around the corner form Birch to Hemlock, and b) cars traveling the wrong way up one-way Hemlock.

    a) There needs to be a Stop sign at the T-intersection of Birch and Hemlock. Every city official who has looked at this has immediately declared that one is _required_, yet none has been installed.

    b) The Do Not Enter signs at the foot of Hemlock need to be repositioned, straightened, and reoriented -- in a way that matches the actual sight lines of drivers approaching the foot of the street. Also, an additional Wrong Way sign needs to be placed farther up the street, before the Birch Drive intersection.

    c) Ideally, a Do Not Enter stanchion, similar to the one at the intersection of Fowler Street with Frederick Street, should be placed within the very broad intersection of Hemlock and Marvelwood Drive.

    d) A No Right Turn sign should be placed on Marvelwood to catch the attention of drivers approaching Hemlock from the northeast.

    At the very least -- the city should be willing to review these issues, which could be inexpensively resolved, rather than, in effect, declaring them obsolete.

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    Marvelwood Drive New Haven, Connecticut - Westville

    The fall list of repaving projects has now been issued, and once again, Marvelwood Drive is NOT included.

    Englewood Drive is included, which is terrific, because it really does need repaving.

    But it gets nowhere near the traffic volume that Marvelwood gets. Nor does, say, Elmwood Road, which is also on the new list. What are the priorities at work here?

    PLEASE, Public Works; PLEASE put the entire length of Marvelwood Drive, riddled for YEARS with recurring potholes, on next year's list.

    PLEASE.

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    Vista Terrace New Haven, Connecticut - Westville

    Badly clogged storm drains on Vista Terrace: west side of street --

    1) Just inside the corner of Fountain Street (yet *again*)
    2) Just past the intersection of Marvelwood Drive

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    Vista Terrace At Fountain Street New Haven, Connecticut - Amity
    The storm drain on the west side of Vista Terrace, at the Fountain Street corner, is clogged, *yet again.* This seems to happen repeatedly. And winter is coming on.
  • Dead deer Archived
    Forest Road New Haven, Connecticut - Westville
    A dead deer is lying by the side of Forest Road, heading south, a bit past Roger Road, and not far before the West Haven line.
  • 85 Hemlock Road New Haven, Connecticut - Westville
    This photo shows the relationship to sidewalk, wires, and street
  • 85 Hemlock Road New Haven, Connecticut - Westville

    About 20 years ago a large limb fell into the street opposite my house. A large piece of it remained attached high on the tree trunk across the street. Repeatedly since then I have tried to notify the city or UI about this large remaining piece, which has only proceeded to deteriorate, and which poses an ever increasing danger to anyone passing by, as well as to the wires for, I believe, much of the neighborhood. UI's attitude seems to be that it would rather let the limb fall and then put back the wires afterward, rather than take the branch down itself. The city has been unresponsive.

    I have on occasion even tried to snare, at my own expense, some tree service already working elsewhere in the neighborhood with a bucket truck, but each one has shied away, I think because of the wires.

    There is only one direction this deteriorating limb is going to fall, and that event only becomes sooner. This will be a real danger to anyone underneath at that moment. And it could be prevented.

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    80 Hemlock Road New Haven, Connecticut - Westville
    Curbside yard refuse bags not picked up during regular collection Monday, March 28 (nor today, Tuesday the 29th).
  • 80 Hemlock Road New Haven, Connecticut - Westville
    No leaf bag pickup, in some cases for two weeks in a row, on Hemlock Rd., Birch Drive, Lakeview Terr., Ray Rd., Curtis Drive, Judwin Ave., and maybe other streets in the vicinity as well. Public Works, please come.