Commuter lot will be transformed in the spring
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Come April or May the town anticipates reconstruction of the Kennedy Drive Commuter Lot to get underway.
The revamp of the lot has been in the planning stages for more than two years. In addition, the town and Eversource were in negotiations for the town to purchase Eversource’s small parcel on the edge of the lot.
The town intends to use American Rescue Plan Act funds. Those funds need to be encumbered (contract signed) by Dec. 31.
Long ago the Planning Commission OK’d the recommended plan and a plan to handle storm water was approved by the Inland Wetlands Commission.
Eversource’s parcel is one-half to 1 acre. Town Administrator Elaine Sistare said now that the town closed on the sale from Eversource that lot will be part of the plan and will contain 30 to 40 parking spaces. The demolition of the old DMV “building” added more parking spaces.
Plans call for the congested lot entrance near the intersection to disappear and the entrance come in very close to the town-Eversource border.
The conceptual plan drawn up by J&D calls for parking spaces, 12 to 15 (EV) charging stations, relocated handicapped parking spaces and possibly another set of stairs next to the Centreville Bank stairs to get to the Main Street/Union Square area. In addition some landscaped strips dot the plans.
Entrances and exits would be reworked. Storm water improvements would also need to be made, going under Kennedy Drive toward the Quinebaug.

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