First Street in Marcellus will once again be closed to traffic on Halloween, during the hours of 5 to 8:30 p.m. “We have at least 1,000 kids on First Street and it certainly helps the trick or treaters on that day,” Mayor John Curtin said during the Oct. 27 meeting of the Marcellus Board of Trustees. Residents might be more concerned with the state of the roads as the holiday approaches – and with Reed Street in particular. Curtin provided an update on its reconstruction. “Hopefully by the end of this week the rest of the road will be paved and the sidewalk intersection should be completed by Wednesday, in time for Halloween,” he said. Reed Street resident Tim Golick asked, “Will the curbing be filled with topsoil before Halloween as a safety precaution?” “Oh yes,” Curtin said.
The completion of the project will come as a relief to residents as it has seen significant delays beyond the control of the contractors. Curtin reported that “a very expensive vortex” had been successfully installed on Reed Street. The vortex will eliminate phosphate from storm water that flows into Nine Mile Creek as required by the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s MS4 regulations. “A recent DEC directive which was not part of the original requirement caused that to be installed,” Curtin said. The village will need to bond for $65,000 “in order to ensure that we have enough money to pay the contractors.” Tim Golick read a letter written by his arborist, Daniel Deyle, who had witnessed the removal of asphalt, sub base and sidewalk under the canopy of the large Black Maple tree in front of Golick’s home on Sept. 21. Part of Golick’s legal agreement with the village – in which he took full responsibility for the tree in exchange for the village not taking it down – required all excavations be witnessed by his arborist. “One root was uncovered on the roadside of the tree and was left intact,” Deyle wrote. “Under the sidewalk a small number of root hairs were disturbed. The stability and health of said tree should not be affected by this excavation.”