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After six months, New Canaan officials are bringing to a conclusion the repair of the conspicuously broken column at the top of White Birch Road.
As previously reported, one of the two columns located at the start of White Birch Road (opposite the off-ramp from Merritt Parkway Exit 37 northbound) was struck and damaged by a vehicle last December, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann.
Last Tuesday, during a regular meeting of the Board of Selectmen, held at Town Hall and via videoconference, Mann discussed a check he had acquired from the driver’s insurance company. Mann sought the approval of a request from the Department of Public Works to enter into a contract with a repair company to fix the column.
“We received a check for the entire amount of $5,350,” Mann said. “We felt comfortable going forward with this contract with Fortino Escalante Incorporated to repair the pillar and utilize the funds from the insurance company.”
Selectman Amy Murphy Carroll said, “It seems like a lot of money just to fix a brick column.”
First Selectman Dionna Carlson responded, “The insurance company paid for it.”
Murphy Carroll said, “I know, it’s 5,000 bucks, but whatever. I mean, it is paid for, but still, it does seem like a lot of money.”
Carlson said, “They do have a claims adjuster, so, you know.”
Selectman Steve Karl said, “The neighbors and the neighborhood will be very happy because they’ve looked at [the broken column] for a while. We certainly heard about it.”
Mann said that the town is asking Fortino Escalante to “expedite it so that it will go away.”
”There’s some events happening on the lane during the summer, so we’re trying to get ahead of that. It’s time to address that,” Mann said.