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06/02/2017 03:57 PMResidents concerned about the impacts of a proposed Branford-Guilford quad-track high speed railway segment can learn more about the FRA's plan -- and what residents can do to help derail it -- at a public meeting on Wednesday, June 7 at 7 p.m. at the Nathanael Greene Community Center, 32 Church Street, in Guilford.
The Federal Railway Administration (FRA) wants to add the quad-track express rail as part of a high-speed Northeast Corridor between Washington D.C. and Boston MA. Currently in the "preferred alternative" stage of proposal, the quad-track plan can next be moved into the final, "record of decision" phase at any time; meaning any segment of the project can go forward as funding is secured.
About six months ago, a group of concerned citizens from Stony Creek/Branford and Guilford began working to raise the alarm with local and state leaders about the quadtrack proposal and its impacts on Branford and Guilford. Since that time, state and local leaders have each individually registered concerns, mainly in the form of letters, and requested more local engagment from the FRA.
But group member Rob Vavasour, a Guilford resident, said the FRA is still ignoring all requests for advance studies to determine the impacts of the proposed quad-track plan. In one case, it will effect some 14 historic homes on the corridor area on Leetes Island Road. Vavsour said the FRA is also ignoring federal law requiring notification of the project to residents of historic districts. He said, if not for the grassroots group's efforts, town and state leaders would not be up speed on the potential impacts to the historic, environmental, and economic impacts of the proposal, as nothing is being forwarded to them from the FRA.
"We have a right to know. We are not bystanders. We pay their salaries," said Vavasour.
Now, the group is urging residents to email FRA Acting Administrator Patrick Warren at info@necfuture.com asking to remove the Branford-Guilford quad tracking segment of the Northeast Corridor plan from the record of decision, until it can be properly studied and vetted.
In a letter inviting the public to attend the June 7 session, Vavasour wrote, in part, "Since the Federal Railroad Administration refuses to talk to the public in Branford and Guilford about their plan to quad-track the rail line between our two towns, we need to talk to each other about what they have planned for us, and consider effective actions to take in response, before a final route decision is reached."
On June 7, Gregory Stroud, Director of Special Projects for the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation and co-founder of SECoast, will give a presentation on impacts of the FRA's quad-tracking plans for Guilford and Branford and will answer questions about the ongoing regulatory process. Stroud was instrumental in assisting Old Lyme with similar efforts.
SECoast is a non-profit non-partisan collaborative effort partnering Southeastern Connecticut and the Lower Connecticut River Valley residents with the state-wide resources and expertise of the CT Trust for Historic Preservation.
Much more information about the Branford-Guilford quad track proposal is available at the SECoast website here
On May 26, Branford First Selectman James B. Cosgrove issued a letter to FRA expressing his "strong trepeditation" about the impacts of the proposal and also asked for the FRA to to engage with the local public. See the story here