FROM THE NEWSROOM: Discussion about the future of six East Killingly dams owned by Wright Investors Holding Inc. was contentious at Tuesday nights special town council meeting, where members of the public generally agreed that – while the company may need to transfer ownership of what some say are “deteriorating” dams in order to save money – the last-resort option of breaching the dams would be detrimental to the community. Residents and officials angrily dismissed the option of breaching, saying it would negatively impact property values, homeowners insurance rates, ISO ratings for fire departments, and the scenic beauty and tourism of the area; Ron Harwood of the Danielson Fire Department said that breaching the dams would put lives of residents and firefighters at risk by draining water sources. Some residents threatened to sue the holding company if the dams are breached; Sterling Planning & Zoning Commission member Walter Moriarty, who camps in an area he worries would be affected by a breaching, criticized company representatives for not having documentation of conversations with various state and local officials, saying he suspects this may be a deliberate case of “demolition by neglect.” Wright Vice President Ira Sobotko was adamant the company wants to work with officials to avoid breaching by transferring ownership of the dams to another private company, conservation group, or perhaps some municipal or state entity – however, over the past few years, conversations with the DEEP have allegedly gone nowhere. Democratic State Representatives Danny Rovero and Mae Flexer said they will take this issue to Hartford in hopes of finding a resolution; future public meetings with local and state officials as well as stakeholders are being planned. Tune in for the full report.
Posted on: Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:30:47 +0000