Nearly a month removed from a major gas leak that crippled commerce and forced residents from their homes along Water Street, close to 30 Water St. residents and business owners seeking answers on the much-maligned Water Street Streetscape project attended a town meeting Monday night at Warren Town Hall. While they got some answers, others are more elusive. And reassurances that gas leaks and other dangerous problems would not happen again were in short supply.

The multi-tiered project, which started in May, has frustrated hundreds of downtown residents with detours, delays, noise, occasional gas and water leaks, and closed sidewalks. Some business owners report losing 20, 30 or 50 percent of their business, and residents have complained about unclear signage, confusing detour and police detail arrangements, and parking issues.

The latest — what’s next?

Starting off the discussion, Chris Brito from CB Utility was asked about his firm’s progress replacing a water main for the Bristol County Water Authority. Residents said they were confused about the progress in work, and also wanted to know whether CB Utility has clear schedules going forward. He said: 

* Crews next week will work on water tie-ins between Miller and Main Street, and will also work on service connections (hydrants and the like) if they have time. Water Street, from Miller to Main, will be closed at that time with traffic being detoured around the closed area. Concurrently, the sewer forced main work will continue heading north on Water Street, toward Bowen.

* Most of the water work will be complete by the second half of August, at which point work on the force sewer main will continue in a northward direction. Sewer work between Main and Miller should be complete by the end of August and at that point, crews will move on to the second portion of the sewer project, running that sewer line between Miller Street and the treatment plant on lower Water Street. That portion of the work will start at the plant and make its way north toward Miller. Around the first week of September, CB Utility will be replacing pipe from Washington To School Street, and will work on service connections and side street connections. They will also disinfect the new lines and remove bypass piping.

* Once that work is complete, Warren Town Manager Jan Reitsma said the town might be able to get to work on sidewalk reconstruction. He said town officials have been talking with RIDOT officials and are trying to convince them to get started before the end of October. Mr. Reitsma said the goal for the streetscape improvements portion of the project is to start a the north end and work south. He said the town’s priority is to be done by Thanksgiving.

* Several residents said they were getting confusing information about where workers would be on any given day. One asked that the town keep a regularly updated map on its website showing where construction is taking place. Mr. Reitsma said he would work with CB Utility to have a regularly updated, easy to understand map on the town website. The map can be found here:

http://www.townofwarren-ri.gov/newsupdates/waterstreetproject.html

* Tara Thibaudeau, who helps organize the Finish For a Guinness 5K on the Labor Day weekend, asked whether the road will be paved by then, at least around the Wharf Tavern and Warren Yacht Club areas.

“The road will be paved” by the time of the race, Mr. Brito replied. “At that point we should have all of our water main activated. You might still see some bypass piping on the ground. Right at that point (around Labor Day) we’re kind of at a transition period. Right now, our plan is to be in that transition period, but between Main and Miller we should have all paving cleaned up and swept for the Labor Day weekend.”

Where is National Grid?

A large portion of the meeting was spent talking about the July 11 gas leak at Water and Baker streets. While there are still questions as to how it occurred and who, if anyone, was responsible, one of the clear story lines coming out of the incident was the insistence by many — the town, CB Utility and many residents — that National Grid show a greater presence, every day, at the work site. With subterranean Water Street a jumble of unused and used mains, old unmarked pipes and other surprises, those involved in the project believe it is incumbent on the gas company to be there all the time in case another high pressure gas line gets knocked loose, or just to advise on situations as they arise.

“If National Grid would like to be there we would welcome that,” Mr. Brito said. “It would be very helpful if someone from National Grid were there”

That regular presence was also pushed hard for by town officials following the high pressure leak, but so far it has not been entirely successful.

“We keep talking to National Grid,” Mr. Reitsma said. “We say, ‘You should be there every day.’”

“We will request (everyday presence) again. I talk to them on a fairly regular basis. I think I put quite a bit of pressure on them that has only been partially successful. They know that we want them on site every single day. Can we make them? Not necessarily.”

Even if National Grid were there every day, though, Mr. Brito said the nature of subterranean Water Street makes it impossible to assure anyone that a similar large scale gas leak will not occur again:

“There are a lot of old utilities, some of which are abandoned, some of which are live,” he said. “I cannot give you any guarantee that we won’t find something else.”

Other questions:

* Sidewalks: Business owner and Warren Town Council, along with others, asked about the recent closure of sidewalks along either side of Water Street, which effectively blocked anyone from entering large areas of Water Street. Mr. Brito said that while CB Utility tries to keep at least one sidewalk open along closed stretches, it is sometimes impossible as the firm moves in large equipment and machinery. 

* The elderly: One resident asked if the town has a master list of elderly and home-bound residents who might need help being evacuated in the case of another large gas leak. Warren Fire Chief Al Galinelli said he has one that is compiled by the state; he will share that information with police officers, he said. 

*Early morning noise: Water Street resident Louise Ornstein told officials that she’s been woken up early on several occasions by loud construction work prior to the scheduled 7 a.m. start time. Mr. Brito acknowledged that there has been work started before that start time, but it has mostly involved workers getting their machinery ready for the day, including warming up engines and moving equipment into place. He pledged to address the situation but added, “We don’t want construction to start until 7 but in order to start at 7 you need to mobilize.”

“Much of the reason for the early noise is “operators firing up their machines so they can grease up their machines,” he said, to which Ms. Ornstein replied, “then get some WD40 for that equipment!”

* Speeding: Several residents, including Ms. Cronin, complained that drivers have gotten “crazy” since construction started, especially on side streets like Liberty. What can be done, they asked?

“The police will send patrols to (affected areas) to monitor it, Mr. Reitsma said.

In addition, he spoke about the blinking yellow light at Main and Market streets, which police believe has actually helped traffic move more quickly in most cases than green-yellow-red lights. Coupled with having a detail officer at that location, Mr. Reitsma said the town is doing the best it can to keep traffic moving as smoothly as possible.

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“The officer at that intersection has been told to stay out of the way and let traffic manage itself,” added Warren Police Lt. Roy Borges. “When it’s four or five cars on Market Street we ask the officer to let you out. It’s getting better; the long we stay there we’re learning how traffic goes through there.”