HomeMy WebLinkAboutHigh Tower Road (1) MEMORANDUM
To: Matthew B. Galligan, Town Manager
From: Michael J. Gantick, P.E., Director of Public Works
Date: August 14, 2002
Re: Settlement — 108 High Tower Road
Please be advised that we have completed our review of the subject matter. As you are
aware Mr. LaBrecque has approached the Town about settlement conditions in his front
yard adjacent to High Tower Road and Ann Road. The following is a summary of our
findings:
OBSERVATIONS
1. Previous surveys indicate that there has not been any settlement of town structures
within the roadways.
2. A meeting was conducted with representatives of the Connecticut Water Company
(CWC) and Yankee Gas on July 1, 2002 to determine if the utilities had any known
problems and/or concerns regarding settlement and their facilities. CWC had
conducted a leak analysis and found no leaks nor were there any settlements within
the roads near their facilities. Yankee Gas did have a settlement at the edge of Ann
Road along their service line to 108 High Tower. The representative did not have
any concern about the integrity of their facilities.
3. Town crews dug a test pit along High Tower Road on July 9, 2002 to determine
subsurface conditions. The test pit information is attached. What was found
appears to be a unique situation, whereby the topsoil, sand and sand/clay layers are
under laid by a peat zone, which is highly organic and compressive. Variable ground
water conditions seem to have presented themselves over time as mottling is
evident at 24 inches and groundwater was evident at 74 inches.
4. The test pit information and samples of each soil layer were examined by a
professional soil scientist with the peat layer analyzed relative to its properties. The
report is attached.
5. The subdivision and house at 108 High Tower were built circa 1958. Aerial photos
of the area were examined from 1945 and 1956 to determine any unique features of
the area prior to the construction of the roads and house. The area appears to have
been farmed with shade tobacco the crop under cultivation at the time of the aerial
photos. No conclusion can be drawn from the photos, as tobacco netting appears to
cover the area in question.
6. The intersection of Ann Road and High Tower road is the lowest point within this
area of the subdivision.
7. A review of USGS groundwater records for the South Windsor monitoring well
indicate that over the last 2 years groundwater conditions have approached near
record lows.