When Dante was busy writing about the fourth circle of Hell, he couldn’t have known about the CT DOT, but as a modern metaphorical stand in, nothing could be more perfect. This meandering investigation concerns the traffic light, the condos and Mill Hill. As all good Norwalk stories must begin, before the burning of Norwalk, the events that transpired are convoluted and in keeping with the structure of classic literature involve misunderstandings and divine comedy.
So we begin, not quite at the beginning, but about the time when State Senator Bob Duff requested $50k to be used to install the traffic light at the Foxboro driveway. Somehow, two checks got cut, and with the mysteries of governmental process, one got sent to the Foxboro condo association and the other got sent to the city. With the windfall of $100k versus $50k, a press conference was held by State Senator Bob Duff and the Mayor where it was announced that $50k would be used for repairs at Mill Hill.
Meanwhile, the CT DOT decided that the traffic light project required that special sauce of changes resulting in cost over runs. Which wouldn’t have been such a problem had it been the state that was installing the traffic light, but instead it was the Norwalk DPW. And cost over runs needed to be paid for so the $50k that the city received, which allocated to the the traffic light project. Which had basically been the original plan.
Much confusion ensued, costumes and ballroom dancing did not, and when the music stopped, the clock struck midnight, and the CT DOT ended up driving up the cost of a simple traffic light installation by several hundred thousand dollars.
Fin.
