Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The meeting was largely cordial, but some residential frustrations bubbled up over traffic and late night noise.
Water Street is a great place in the summer – the boats, the restaurants, the live music. But those same qualities that make is such a great place to visit can make it a trial to live there, as well as a challenge to police. Police Chief Tom Coyle invited Water Street residents and restaurant owners to a meeting last Thursday to discuss the upcoming summer season in hopes of making it easier on residents and police while not tamping down business for the restaurants that depend on the warm weather clientele. This was the first such meeting in several years and many residents said they were glad it had been reinstituted since it had worked well. "We used to meet at the beginning of the year and we got to know each other," said one …
Friday, March 15, 2013
Officials hope to have the street open at night by the end of next week.
It turns out Water Street is aptly named. Construction workers replacing the decades-old clay sewer pipes with new plastic pipes have battled ground water from the start. Now that they are working near the shanties, they have to reckon with the tides too. The project closed Water Street to car traffic in February and it looks like it will be April before the street is fully open again. It had to be closed because of the structural supports in place to dig as deeply as necessary. "We figure another week of deep excavation and then we'll be able to open up one lane of traffic at night," said Public Works director Joe Duarte. He said they hope the work will be completed enough by the end of the month, or early April to open the street to …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
"It's going to be noisy, there are going to be vibrations," as sewer line replacement hits Water Street.
Work to replace the 90-year-old Water Street sewer line is going to get a whole lot more disruptive for those who live and work in that area. Although the project began in September, it is finally going to spill out onto Water Street by the Barbara Tufts Playground this week, prompting Water Street to be closed between Lion and Queen streets for up to five weeks. According to the original plan, work on the sewer line was to have been completed by now. But weather events such as Hurricane Sandy (and even last weekend's blizzard), and persistent groundwater slowed work. The work is being done by William Anthony Excavating for a total price of $1.8 million. William Anthony spent much of the fall battling the groundwater, bringing in larger…
Monday, February 11, 2013
Your guide for life in East Greenwich today, Feb 11.
Power: It’s largely restored in East Greenwich but for the maybe 300 households still without power, that’s little comfort, I know. National Grid is saying power will be restored by tonight. If you are without power and need anything, please let me know – elizabeth.mcnamara@patch.com. My house is open to you. Streets: DPW crews will be back at it today, plowing the streets to widen them to their full width. If your street is in dire need of plowing, let me know and I will pass it on. Sidewalks: The DPW crews will deal with sidewalks – particularly on Main Street – when they have finished street work. Town Council meeting CANCELLED: On the agenda is a public hearing on the town’s revised Comprehensive Plan, which has been in the works …
Monday, December 3, 2012
Excess groundwater at the sewage treatment plant has slowed work.
Replacement of the sewer line from the waste-water treatment plant the length of Water Street was to have been largely done by now. Persistent ground water has kept the project pinned to the beginning phase at the treatment plant, said Public Works director Joe Duarte. "It is going much slower than we thought," he said last week. This initial work is the most complicated part, he said. Work began on the sewer line replacement in early September, starting at the treatment plant. That work has required extensive excavation, with the entire Barbara Tufts playground being closed off. Duarte said the playground would be replaced to pre-project status when the work there is done. Groundwater hasn't been the only delay. Work was stalled …
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Water "higher than ever seen" on Water Street, but worst damage from wind; Norton's loses roof.
By 8:30 p.m. Monday night, the water was 15 inches high on Water Street by Rhode Island Clam and Harbourside. But Robert Smith was feeling a bit optimistic or, at least, he wasn't panicking. The owner of Rhode Island Clam, Smith had gotten a call that the water was up to the door. It was short of that and from across the street Smith decided he had seen enough. "When we left it today, we left it so it would take water. For Irene, we gutted it," said Smith. When someone asked if he was going to go in, Smith declined. "It is what it is. Whatever it is now, it will be a 9 o'clock tomorrow morning." Still, Smith said the water was the highest he'd ever seen it on Water Street. At Norton's, the situation was not as good. At about 6 p.m. …
Monday, September 17, 2012
The work has already begun at the Barbara Tufts (London Street) Playground but won't affect Water Street until October.
The Town of East Greenwich has begun replacing the Water Street sewer line, starting at the Sewage Treatment Plant and Barbara Tufts Playground now, with work on Water Street itself to begin in October. The hope is that as little disruption as possible take place during the busy summer, early fall season at the waterfront, said Public Works Director Joe Duarte. It's tricky because boats start coming out of the water (needing Water Street) just as restaurants are closing. The hope is to get as much work done this fall as possible and into the winter depending on the weather. "If the weather holds outs, why not?" said Duarte. At issue are the old clay pipes, which are being replaced with PVC, a strong plastic that should last many decades…
Thursday, July 19, 2012
They are interested in talking to quahoggers, residents, business owners – anyone who uses the waterfront or has historical photos or information.
Ask Kristen Ounanian how she decided to spend her summer researching the East Greenwich waterfront, and she’ll laugh a little. A Ph.D candidate in marine affairs at U.R.I., Ounanian said it was her advisor who put her on to the shanties on Water Street. He’d long been interested in them and the push-pull between fishing and development they’ve come to symbolize. That was enough for Ounanian, who started with no knowledge of East Greenwich but already has learned enough to give her credibility with longtime locals. She’s not in it alone. A childhood friend, Alison Naturale, is assisting in the research. While the exact products to come out of their research have not be indentified, Ounanian and Naturale are collecting oral histories and …
Friday, July 13, 2012
The waterfront's a different world come Thursday night – awash in cars, groups of guys, groups of girls, music, and, invariably, the occasional towed car.
First, you have to figure out where you'll park. Do you valet, or hope to find a legal spot somewhere? Then, it's the decision: Harbourside (on a Thursday, only if you're young), Nautika (more upscale), and now Blu (one week in, it's hard to say but more like Nautika than Harbourside). Then there's McKinley's, down the road a piece. It's the local's place. But if you're over 40, well, not saying you can't go, but you may find yourself to be the oldest patron in the place. During my tour Thursday night (into Friday morning), I didn't see any of the egregious behavior (i.e. peeing in front yards) many locals have complained about. But maybe I went home too early...
Sunday, August 28, 2011
The general consensus: It could have been worse
Water lapped over Water Street earlier today, during the morning high tide, around 8 a.m. There were a few inches of water in front of Rhode Island Clam and the Harbourside. Down by Norton's Marina, water was knocking on their office doors. The water receded before becoming troublesome for the town's waste water treatment plant, the pump house of which sits below sea level. Still, most on the waterfront won't breathe easy until the evening high tide - at around 8 p.m. - has passed.
Biff Tannen
12:57 am on Thursday, May 2, 2013
I would also LOVE to see your comments about the waterfront if no valet was in place on a 70 degree Thursday or Friday night in July. You haven't seen "disturbing the peace" until you see that. more ›