Town officials this week approved a $6,750 contract with a Newtown-based nursery for 30 white pine trees that will be planted to screen Old Kings Highway homes from the Transfer Station.
Looking east toward the Transfer Station complex below, from upper Old Kings Highway. Credit: Michael Dinan
The trees from Planter’s Choice Nursery will be planted along the top of the landfill, Department of Public Works Assistant Director Tiger Mann said at the Board of Selectmen meeting Tuesday.
“We have been receiving quite a number of complaints from the people on Old Kings Highway about their view across the top of the landfill,” Mann said during the meeting, held in the Training Room at the New Canaan Police Department. “Especially when we have got snow removal and other work going on there. Many can see straight down into the transfer station workings from there, so they asked for some screening in the upper area.”
Three properties appear to overlook the Transfer Station complex off of the eastern side of Old Kings Highway, though the homes themselves are located across the street. One home on the eastern side of the road looks directly down on the area.
The selectmen unanimously approved the contract, together with an additional $5,850 to be paid to Planter’s Choice for 30 dark American arborvitae for Town Hall. The evergreens resist snow load bending, Mann said, and were the preference of Tree Warden Bruce Pauley, who was not in attendance. Though a bid for the white pines came in $50 lower, the town went with Planter’s Choice so that it could deal with the same vendor for both sets of plants, Mann said.
Selectman Beth Jones praised Planters Choice as a very good nursery.
$5,850 for trees for Town Hall? That’s money that could have gone a few feet further back in the parking lot for The Outback Teen Center. How much will the building plaque be for Town Hall? The one with the town officials’ names?