SMITHFIELD – Town officials have not accepted what they’re calling a “boilerplate” agreement with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation as they look to see repairs finally happen to the Greenville Cemetery crypt wall leaning over the sidewalk on Smith Avenue.
Town Manager Bob Seltzer said the tentative agreement if the town were to take over the project is cause for concern, as it doesn’t guarantee reimbursement, and the town could be on the hook for any costs beyond $750,000. That funding part is his biggest concern, he said, as RIDOT can remove itself from the process at any time and not give the town any more money.
Seltzer said his recommendation was that the agreement represented too much risk to the town, and local officials should let the state take on all the risk.
The unsightly wall has led to endless complaints from residents and officials about the appearance of the area that’s blocked off with orange and white barriers to prevent pedestrians from getting near the wall.
Two years ago, the town and RIDOT agreed to a long-term repair that would bring a new wall on top of the existing one. RIDOT would widen the sidewalk to make room for the enlarged wall, and then the town would take over maintenance and repairs of the sidewalk and wall.
RIDOT representatives later completed ground-penetrating radar, finding, they claimed, potential gravesites within nine to 30 inches of the back of wall. They then stated that it was no longer desired to conduct work on the cemetery side and they wanted to minimize impacts to the wall as much as possible.
Smithfield Historic Preservation Commission Chairperson Robert Leach presented a powerpoint presentation Tuesday backing his assertion that the costs, as calculated by members of his group, won’t come close to exceeding $750,000.
Leach questioned RIDOT’s “misrepresentations” on a number of other matters, including the existence of burials near the majority of the wall. He said those are only on the right end of the wall. He also rejected the idea of encapsulating the wall in concrete and faux material meant to appear historic.
Leach said the SHPC has come up with a number of options that don’t include moving the road and the sidewalk, which would be required if a concrete facade was added. Reinforcing the wall and adding drainage behind it would be the best solution for a wall that’s sat for 150 years in its natural state, he said.
Leach cited the commission’s expertise in these matters, saying it would be a shame to cover over prized local granite.
SHPC Vice Chairperson Chad Morrison said there are no burials to the left of the wall, so why conceal the entire wall? He said he and Leach developed plans, and when carried out, he said, some of that work could be done delicately with hand-held shovels if necessary. RIDOT is tasked with replacing highways and bridges, said Morrison, and this is a much smaller project than what the state agency is used to. The town is positioned well to handle it, he emphasized.
When Leach started speaking about their qualifications and past work again, Council President John Tassoni said this isn’t about him or the work he does. He criticized Leach for writing a letter to the state on behalf of the council.
Leach said this project is so close, but somehow it’s become adversarial after many years of planning. He said all they’re looking for is the town to listen to them in their spelled-out function within local government.
Councilor Tom Winfield took issue with Leach’s repeated claims, including where he said he got an estimate for $65,000 to have someone do the concrete work on both ends of the wall. Winfield said he’s been there for past projects with Leach in the discussions, and if someone wants to see a project overrun its costs, “get Leach involved.”
When Leach later cited improvements achieved as part of discussions related to past Route 44 work, Winfield said Leach had nothing to do with any of that, and that it was the councilman who achieved those upgrades.
Morrison said that as a registered engineer himself, he believes, and the full committee backs it, that the work can be done for significantly less than $750,000.
Councilor Michael Iannotti said he agreed with SPHC representatives that the concrete encapsulation would not be good for preservation. He said he doesn’t like the proposed agreement with the state at all, as it doesn’t really obligate RIDOT to anything.
Asked for his opinion on everything, Public Works Director Gene Allen said he has a number of concerns. He said they can’t just send a contractor out to pour concrete, and though it’s not as simple as SHPC members are implying, it’s also not as complicated as the state is saying. He said he would never recommending signing the agreement as it stands.
Iannotti said that if the state agrees to do the project in a similar way to what Leach is proposing, they don’t need a convoluted agreement with a bunch of requirements.
Tassoni said this entire matter has been going on for far too long. Responding to Allen saying the wall hasn’t moved at all since he started looking at it several years ago, Tassoni responded that it’s still an eyesore and needs to be repaired, which others agreed with.
Tassoni said he wants to see the full plans for the wall at a meeting in September.
