Hartford, CT – On Friday July 13th family members with loved ones buried at Fairview Cemetery in New Britain joined Senator Joe Markley and Representatives Whit Betts and Rob Sampson to express their anger and concern over this portion of the New Britain to Hartford Busway project.
“I visited the cemetery and the bus will be passing extremely close to my uncle Edwin. I am disgusted!” said Candice Hewins of New Britain.
Fairview Cemetery is one of the city’s oldest and most revered cemeteries in the city of New Britain. The Mayor’s office recently described it as, “an historical property that has gone unprotected for years.”
“It’s shameful that this historic and peaceful place–where more than 37,800 souls, including many veterans, rest–is now a huge construction site for this unnecessary project,” said Sen. Markley.
“What we are seeing as construction begins is the down side of what Governor Malloy and his administration are doing; destroying businesses, disrupting neighborhoods and disturbing graves,” remarked Rep. Sampson.
Candice Hewins of New Britain had written to lawmakers expressing her disappointment. A portion of her letter reads: This is supposed to be a place of eternal rest for my relatives and how can this be when a busy busway will be going directly through this place of rest. There has been no notification from the state or cemetery to the families that have relatives buried here.
“It is unbelievable to me that the state can get away with construction so close to headstones and it appears none of the families were told of the action,” added Rep. Betts.
The busway is expected to cost nearly $600 million with eleven stops from New Britain to Hartford. Construction started in May and is expected to be finished in 2014. Prompted by Friday’s press conference, a Department of Transportation spokesperson said no graves will be moved and that the entire two-lane roadway and shoulders, multi-use trail, drainage, decorative fencing and parapets (low walls) will be in the historic rail right of way approximately 66 feet wide.
“While the administration pushes Busway construction at breakneck speed, transportation projects that would address existing problems languish. The governor’s priorities ignore the needs and the desires of the people. The real cost of this Busway–not simply in dollars, but in disruption of business and travel, damage to neighborhoods and to sites like this cemetery–will become apparent as construction proceeds,” said Sen. Markley.
Sampson said, “Visiting the cemetery today and seeing graves within just a few feet of the path cleared for the busway, I found shocking. Has anyone considered the loved ones visiting their departed with buses whizzing past as frequently as every few minutes and only feet away?”
