'Woods' Controversy Goes On: Neighbors Unsettled By Development, Loss Of Scenery

The methodical whir of drills and industrial nail guns punctuated the neighborhood calm last week along Iroquois Avenue West. The 200-unit housing project being built within sight of the dead-end road continues to draw ire from residents who do not want a walking trail from Summit Woods to their neighborhood.
"I don't like it," Pamela B. Quimby said. "We've lost enough of our woods already."
Mrs. Quimby has owned the last house at the end of the street for 25 years. Instead of gazing at a thicket through her front window, she now stares at the skeletons of unsided homes.
"I can see four of them," she said. "It was solid woods there."
Those buildings are expected to become the largest apartment complex built in the town and city of Watertown since Fort Drum announced its expansion in 2004.
"We are impacted the most by the development, which we didn't want in the first place," Mrs. Quimby said.
The city has considered building a walking trail from Summit Woods to Iroquois Avenue West to provide children a safe route to school. That proposal was turned down by the City Council in March and was brought up again when staff surveyed residents to find their opinion on the trail last month.
Of the 100 households polled, 48 wanted a trail to connect to Iroquois Avenue West, 43 were against it and nine were undecided. A majority of the households close to the trail's opening were against the proposal.
On Monday, the council harped to staff that a survey of south-side residents concerning a walking trail was not needed.
"The previous council said they didn't want a walkway, this council discussed it in February, we didn't want a walkway, and I thought that the sidewalk would be done this summer because we talked about it during budget time," Councilman Peter L. Clough said. "Why are we spending time, money and resources on a walkway when we could be contacting 10 property owners?"
The property owners he's referring to live along the west side of Washington Street between Summit Woods and the Watertown City School District campus. The city expects to build a sidewalk that extends the length of Washington Street that will allow students to pass safely to school.
That sidewalk is scheduled to be installed this spring.
"They still have to cross the street either way," Mrs. Quimby said. "Why do they need to come down here to do it?"
The city will position an officer at Washington Street and the entrance to Summit Woods to act as a crossing guard once the complex begins accepting tenants this fall.
"Staff feels that providing a walkway in this area is important," City Manager Mary M. Corriveau said. "We think it's going to happen even if we don't want it. Wouldn't it be better to have it as a developed walkway that is lit and maintained versus something that is not?"
"So what you're saying is it didn't matter what City Council said," Mr. Clough replied. "Staff decided that's what they wanted and that's what's going to be done."
The internal conflict within City Hall boiled over to the school district when District Superintendent Terry N. Fralick wrote a letter to Mayor Jeffrey E. Graham and the City Council on Aug. 25 outlining his concerns about the lack of a safe trail from the housing complex to the Washington Street schools.
The mayor said he called Mr. Fralick following the Sept. 2 council meeting to let him know that a sidewalk will be built and a crossing guard will be available.
"For right now, let's just deal with the short term, accommodate with a crossing guard if necessary and move ahead with the sidewalk," the mayor said. "Let's not relive the history of this, and I'm sure Mrs. Corriveau and staff are aware we don't want a path through there."
"I agree with you, Mr. Mayor," Mr. Clough said. "My point is if something like this is going to happen in the future, then council should be aware of it. If you're going to go against council's wishes, then we should be made aware of it so we're not receiving calls from neighbors saying, 'Why is this happening?' when we don't have an answer for them."