SOUTH DEERFIELD — Nearly 40 Eastern Avenue residents have signed on to a complaint letter about the conditions of ongoing water main work, citing the pace of the work and potholes left behind that have yet to be filled in.
The South Deerfield Water Supply District has been working on Eastern Avenue since September 2021, replacing the water main running the length of the street. At this point in the project, the water main itself has been laid down and the district is making individual connections to homes.
“We’re doing the best we can and as quickly as we can,” said South Deerfield Water Supply District Superintendent Dan Dion, adding that the department’s dump truck was out of commission for repairs for a short period of time. “I would say the estimated completion date is in September.”
The work, residents say, has left potholes in the street, which cause damage to their vehicles and can be dangerous for those walking or cycling.
“Eastern Avenue is, simply put, a safety hazard to all who walk, drive or cycle on it!” the letter signed by 37 residents reads. It was submitted to the Deerfield Select Board, which does not have many options to rectify complaints because the South Deerfield Water Supply District is a separate entity from the rest of the town’s government. Although, Highway Superintendent Kevin Scarborough said at Wednesday’s meeting that they plan to “smooth out the rough sections in the very near future.”
Additionally, Scarborough wrote in an email — included in Wednesday’s meeting packet — to a resident that the plan is to mill and resurface Eastern Avenue, along with Cross and Graves streets, once construction is finished in the early fall.
Resident Larry Fader, who helped draft the letter with Ann Savage-Clift, said the main concern of the neighborhood is safety.
“Safety is really the key,” Fader said. “The major problem is they’re going across the road. … When they do that, they make these trenches and they fill it with gravel, and when it rains, it erodes and forms ruts that are really dangerous.”
Fader said the pace of the project has been frustrating for residents now that it has been nearly 10 months since the project began. He added he understands the town can’t do too much at this moment, and thanked Scarborough and the Select Board for responding quickly to their letter.
“It really is more than just inconvenience; it’s a matter of the safety of our street,” Fader said. “I think something would have to change radically if they were going to get it done before the snow flies, but Kevin seems hopeful that is going to happen.”
Dion and Fader said residents from the neighborhood attended June 27’s Water Supply District meeting. Dion said concerns are being addressed as they come in.
Dion urged Eastern Avenue residents to be patient while the project continues.
“We’re doing the best we can, and quickly and safely as we can,” Dion said. “Please have patience with us, and we will complete the project as soon as possible.”