Greenway Tunnel Clogged by Bureaucracy; Gas Station Fuels Debate; Police Investigating Arson; Family Resource Center Joins Community

HAMDEN – A dangerous section of the Farmington Canal Greenway will be made safer once an underground walkway is built. But delays in the DOT approval process have pushed the construction start date back.

Still, the assistant town planner is optimistic that the underground walkway will be finished by October. The construction of the 14-foot by 10-foot culvert will cost about $1.3 million, almost a million of which will be paid by the federal government, with the town picking up the remaining $322,000.

Check out the story for more details on the project, including residents’ reactions in the comment section.

BETHWOOD – A proposal to build a gas station and convenience store is fueling a debate that cuts into the very fabric of a community whose slogan is “rural is beautiful.”

If built, the town’s only gas station would be located on a 1.72-acre parcel on the corner of Amity Road and Sargent Drive. The proposal was vetted at a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting this week, during a public hearing that was continued from two previous dates in May.

Some residents do not want the gas station, arguing that it will forever alter the town’s rural character, while others who support it say the need for such a business is significant. The commission is looking to balance these two opposing views.

Check out the story to hear what residents, the applicant and commission have to say about the proposal.

STRATFORD – Police are investigating the first arson of 2011.

According to the fire department, officials determined that a fire that ripped through a Light Street residence last Saturday was intentionally set. Police are questioning “people of interest,” one fire official said.

Read the story to find out how the fire marshal determined the fire was arson, and to see a photo of the house.

NORTH BRANFORD – With a single snip from a giant pair of scissors, the new Family Resource Center (FRC) became a part of the community this week.

The FRC is the new home for K-Care, which provides before- and after-kindergarten care as well as before- and after-school care.

Watch a video and check out some photographs from the ribbon-cutting by clicking here.