An Open Letter to Lyme officials, Connecticut officials, or any interested party:
There exists on a field located at the intersection of Cove Rd and Ely’s Ferry in Lyme … the broken down remains of an old yellow barn… in delapidated (sic) and dangerous condition.
It has been in this condition for the 25+ years that I have lived on Ely’s Ferry.
The building has partially collapsed and remains a significant safety hazard … hundreds of pounds of unstable lumber waiting to crush a hapless child unfortunate enough to enter it.
Despite my previous attempts to suggest the destruction (burning or other) of this hazard, the hazard remains.
I appeal to the town of Lyme or any other interested and responsible party that this hazard be burned, otherwise destroyed in the interest of safety and avoidance of tragic loss of life.
Any doubts? Please come and inspect it yourself ( ! )
If you wish to examine it, please contact me anytime at 860.434.2160.
Sincerely,
Dwight Stevenson
Lyme.
I wish you good luck sir in this blighted piece of property. Hopefully, Lyme has ordinances/codes that address blighted properties and has officials who will follow any and all codes/ordinances to protect its citizens from such dangers. Old Lyme residents haven’t been so lucky. I could suggest you contact the property owners (but you probably have exhausted that). You can look up the mortgage company’s information (assuming there is one) on the land records and plea your case to them. Have you tried the State Fire Marshal William Abbott or Joseph Cassidy, the State Building Inspector?
I surely appreciate your planned chain of communication….. but, alas, we have been many times through it. The “bottom line” is that the “owner” is not approachable for many years…. and
– either something is accomplished…. – or sadly someone will be injured or killed. ……and should you doubt this and/or want to inspect it….. please call me any time at 8604342160.
In the mean time…. thank you for your referrences. I will proceed from here. – Dwight S.
Might I suggest a missile launching party. Poor aim encouraged?
If the owner does not want it taken down, whether an eyesore or safety hazard, is his choice. If no person goes onto the property, how could there be a safety issue? There are situations like this all over Lyme and Old Lyme as well as the state of Connecticut. Remnants of the day when people lived and survived on the farmlands of these communities. Trying to influence procedures on someone elses’ property is an ambigous undertaking. Make an offer to pay for the procedure 100%, if it concerns you or your neighbors well-being.
Mel, I am assuming you must not have children. This barn is located in an area where there are children, and kids will be kids and explore! This barn had been falling down for years and this past winter it finally fell down! Since falling down the barn was left in a pile with boards and broken windows laying around. The eyesore is the least of the worries… the danger there is the big concern. Dwight’s concerns are valid as his property is directly across the street from this barn (or remnants of a barn) lays, he must look at this pile of junk daily!
The other neighbors in this area are quick to complain about the other properties on the road, often going to the town and filing formal complaints, which the town then sends letters to residents that they must comply with in X number of days…. Why is this not the case with the barn?
However Miss Mann’s idea is wonderful!
Best of luck with this!
To modern folks in city and suburb, a barn may seem remote. Perhaps its the abandoned BARN on the side of the road, a lonely relic of another time. Or maybe it’s idealized, like a rural barn created by a movie set designer. Old barns were built in many different architectural styles through out our wonderful town(s) and many folks I know think this is part of the fabric of our community which makes Old Lyme and Lyme the beautiful Bucolic landscape that it is. Yes even the older barns and structures that appear dilapidated offer character of a time gone by.
When we were kids growing up we actually use to play and investigate a lot of old barn structures most dilapidated, and or collapsed but, our parents never imposed on their neighbors to TEAR their barns down. They told us to be stay out of there!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT!