Vito Block comes down; planning is on

Thursday's demolition in full effect

Text  and photos by Steev Riccardo

WEBSTER - The new Webster Police Department Planning Committee met this past Thursday evening (July 26) and were updated on the project’s status.

The timing couldn’t have been better since several members of the committee watched from Main Street earlier in the day as the “Vito Block” bricks hit the ground.

The committee met in the basement of the current Webster Police Department on Thompson Road and heard progress reports from the Maguire Group, onsite planning manager, and The Lawrence Associates, the architects, of Manchester, CT. 

Tony Diluzio from the Maguire Group called Thursday “a critical day,” and was pleased with the way the demolition was going. 

Committee member and town manager John McAuliffe was equally impressed, saying that everything “looked awesome.”

One slight surprise on the site was the discovery of a 1000-gallon oil tank of which the committee had not been previously aware.  Diluzio said that this was not uncommon and a discussion ensued on a plan to have the tank removed. 

Committee member Randy Becker, who donated the initial funds to have the building torn down, said that “the ground had been tested and a soil analysis was done long before the land was purchased,” and the committee felt confident that there was no leak from the tank.

In attendance at the meeting were committee chairman Brian Perry, Police Chief Timothy Bent, Deputy Chief Rodney Budrow, former fire chief Gordon Forrester, Fire Chief Brian Hickey, Rescue Chief Chris Jolda, Town Accountant Pamela Regis, Rick Lawrence of The Lawrence Associates, McAuliffe, Becker and Diluzio.

The Planning committee will meet again at the Webster Police Department on Thursday, August 9.

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