A small unimproved road that connects the Southwick Town Hall and the Southwick Safety Complex will be closed to the public. The road is located in the rear of the Southwick Town Hall. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – The Board of Selectmen approved permanently closing the gate to the access road between Town Hall and the safety complex this week.
The gate had been closed previously and was opened once again during College Highway construction.
“It was open to allow Town Hall employees another way to access the building,” sad Police Chief Mark Krynicki. “Once the work was complete, we asked to have it closed again.”
Krynicki and safety officer Sgt. Kirk Sanders both recommended closing the gate.
“It’s not a right of access to the public,” Krynicki said. “It was meant for emergency access for police and fire between the buildings.”
The public has been using the single-vehicle road as a cut through between College Highway and Depot Street to avoid the traffic light. Krynicki said there are several problems with that, including the narrowness of the road and the speed vehicles travel there.
There is also a sharp turn that makes it difficult to see if another vehicle is coming.
“I have almost had several head-on accidents there with the public,” said Krynicki.
Another concern is that the public has to drive through the safety complex to enter or leave the road. Krynicki said there is concern that if a police vehicle must leave for an emergency, having that extra, unknown vehicle there hinders the work of the police.
“We don’t need people driving through the parking lot when our cruisers need to get out,” he said.
Selectwoman Tracy Cesan agreed the gate should be closed but she wondered how the public would access the new animal control facility once it is built behind the safety complex.
Krynicki said although that is a future question the new chief would work on with the town, he believes the road should be open to that facility only.
“We could have access from that road through Town Hall to the facility, and fence it so the public cannot access the public safety complex and cannot come through here,” Krynicki said.
Krynicki said he has no concerns about emergency vehicles quickly reaching Town Hall if the access road is closed.
“Our cruisers were fitted with emitters so when they approach a traffic light, it turns green,” said Krynicki. “I don’t think it would take us any longer to reach Town Hall by taking Depot Street.”
