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Photo of Ice House Pond in the Carter Preserve

Hearing on Withdrawing Water from Charlestown to Cool Northern RI Power Plant

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When: Tuesday, December 5 at 6 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.)
Where: Charlestown Elementary School, 363 Carolina Back Road (Rt. 112), Charlestown (map in post)
What: Hearing to allow public comment from Charlestown citizens and others on Invenergy Thermal Development’s proposal to withdraw groundwater from Charlestown and transport it by tanker trucks to Burrillville to cool the turbines of the natural gas and diesel power plant they are seeking to build in the forest in that town.

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Greg and Ken MArch302017

Videos of the March 30 Update Meeting on the FRA Plan

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Their consensus was that the people along the Old Saybrook to Kenyon ByPass have to remain vigilant in their opposition and continue to document their positions in both town and state plans. Those currently in positions of power will not be those who make decisions in the future, and regardless of the current decisions, the communities must create documentation that protects historic buildings, open space, farms, and tribal lands. The struggle continues.

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Ruth Platner

Ruth Platner

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Charlestown has the 3rd lowest tax rate in the state. Even with responsible development that will increase, but with the increased density that is often proposed, we could see much higher tax rates. We benefit from Ruth’s experience on the Planning Commission to continue to protect our environment and tax rate, as they clearly are closely related.

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Greg Stroud

Update and Discussion of Federal Railroad Administration Plan at Kettle Pond

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When: Thursday, March 30 at 7PM
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Rd., Charlestown
What: Status Update and Discussion on “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass”
Our guest speaker is Gregory Stroud, Ph.D., Director of Special Projects at the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. Greg is also the founder of the grassroots advocacy group on High-Speed Rail, SECoast.

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Charlestown Citizens Alliance Response to NEC Future Tier 1 Final EIS

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Because of the many and extreme negative environmental and cultural impacts that would be caused by the new rail segment known as the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass” we ask that the Bypass be removed from the plan before the Record of Decision. Supporting the removal of the Bypass doesn’t mean we are against improving high-speed rail. The Acela is already traveling around 100 miles per hour in Charlestown. Keeping the train in its current alignment would save over a billion dollars in Charlestown alone. With a more practical vision we could get investment in rail in the right places and in the right way and we could get it a lot sooner without sacrificing Narragansett Tribal land, public parklands, protected open space, wetlands, tourism assets, active farms, historic mill villages, and private homes.

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Going to the Rally? – Need Ideas for Signs?

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Going to the January 25 4:30 pm State House Rally against the Bypass and for all the wonderful things we might lose?

You can bring signs that state your objection to the Bypass, but please note that Capitol Police do not allow any handles on the placards, so they should be sturdy enough to hold up and not flex too much.

Need ideas for signs? Here are some slogans that have been proposed.

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FRA-HouseSenate2

Every South County House and Senate Representative Signs Letter in Opposition to Bypass

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Every State Senator and State Representative that represent the towns of Washington County have signed a letter in opposition to the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass”. The letter was sent to our Congressional Delegation and Governor. They have sent a similar letter to the Federal Railroad Administration. We are most grateful to all our South County Legislators for their support in removing the “Bypass” from the FRA’s long term planning. Thank you!!

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Railroad Impacts from Shannock Road to the Carter Preserve

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We begin at the border of Richmond, heading west southwest towards NYC on the proposed bypass route. As noted in the recent post about the impact of the bypass on the village of Kenyon, at the border of Charlestown and Richmond the tracks would be carried aloft on a nearly 1/2 mile bridge roughly 25 or 30 vertical feet above the Pawcatuck River, wetlands and floodplain, and more importantly, high enough above the existing tracks to allow trains below to pass, since the existing tracks would still be used were the bypass built.

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Carter Preserve Trail and Tracks map

Federal Railroad Administration’s New Trails to Rails Program?

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Since the mid 20th century, when many railroad companies went bankrupt and abandoned miles of rail beds, an effort has been underway to turn their defunct rights-of-way into parkland for bicyclers and walkers, popularly called “Rails to Trails.”

Under the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) proposal in Charlestown, the existing rail lines will not be converted to trails, they will remain to be used for rolling freight and slower trains. Charlestown would end up with four rails, the existing rail lines that run from Kenyon, through Shannock, Carolina, and Wood River Junction, and two new high speed rails running through over 2000 acres of parkland, including the 1,112 acre Francis Carter Preserve.

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Richmond Also Impacted By New Rail Lines

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They express a “Don’t worry, relax” attitude, which is hardly reassuring because an examination of the proposed bypass, especially in Richmond where it begins, clearly shows the route has been carefully sited to take into account the existing topography of the land, as well as the many buildings, other structures and roads in the way of the proposed bypass. So moving this section is probably not an option. The designers and engineers have chosen the best possible route, for them, but not for those who live close by.

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acela

Comments on Draft EIS from Rhode Island Officials Tell Us Draft Wasn’t Clear

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What these comments tell us is that the draft EIS didn’t make the impacts to South County at all clear. Now that they are clearer, would these same reviewers still have little or nothing to say about the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass”? This lack of clarity and specificity in the Draft EIS is one more reason why there ought to be an extension of the comment period on the Final EIS from January 31 to April 1, 2017.

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cardinal in the snow

Sample Letter to send to NEC Future NOW Asking for Deadline Extension

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It’s the holiday season, but there is a January 31 deadline fast approaching to oppose the Kenyon to Old Saybrook bypass, and you want to know what you can do?

Write to NEC Future now and ask for an extension in the deadline!

The Federal Railway Administration’s Holiday gift to South County is one we may all want to return, but the Federal process requires that we write and tell NEC Future that.

Please email or write and then share the post.

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