Letter: We got our answer — the Town of Bristol doesn’t care

Posted 5/23/19

Tuesday morning, the Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation (DOT) held an informative meeting for business owners in Bristol about the Silver Creek Bridge Project. Information was clearly given to us …

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Letter: We got our answer — the Town of Bristol doesn’t care

Posted

Tuesday morning, the Rhode Island Dept. of Transportation (DOT) held an informative meeting for business owners in Bristol about the Silver Creek Bridge Project. Information was clearly given to us all about how the project will be run and where the detour will go through town (Chestnut, Metacom, Bayview, High, Franklin).

The plan outlined by DOT officials is already out to bid, and when a contractor is chosen there will be heavy incentives in place for it to be finished on time. From a business owner’s point of view, the most important question still left unanswered at the end of the presentation was: why the Town of Bristol is allowing the project to happen in peak summer months?

Speaking on behalf of downtown businesses, I asked that question again and again until finally our town administrator, Steve Contente, rose to answer. He said that it was time to put “personal interests aside” and that the “handful of businesses downtown” in his mind did not weigh against the safety and security of 1,000 school kids downtown who could be affected if personnel or vehicles needed to access the area quickly were there to be an incident during school session if the bridge is closed.

The tone of Mr. Contente’s answer was contemptuous of our concerns and completely blind to the real economic hardships endured by all of us who struggle to survive in the downtown area.

Furthermore, residents’ concerns for emergency vehicle egress and access during July and August surely ought to be in the mix here. What is the plan for a mass (or any) incident at a bar or nursing home during July or August when Metacom will be jammed? The “risk” line of argument quickly gets murky when you really think about it.

There you have it, people. Make of it what you will. The “handful of businesses downtown” may seem insignificant or irrelevant to our officials, but we do employ thousands of people and pay our fair share of taxes. We deserve respect, if nothing else. Our employees deserve consideration.

If you care about your historic downtown area, I suggest you make your views known and vote accordingly when you can.

Jen Cavallaro
Bristol

Ms. Cavallaro is owner of The Beehive Café.

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