To the editor:

As Barrington prepares itself to vote for the most up-to-date 25 Watson Ave. plans, a view of the current rhythm of the location and its surrounding and updates from other Rhode Island towns provide us with a clearer and an up-to-date picture of how we should vote.

The plan to create a neighborhood pocket for 12 dwellings on 68,000 square feet, or about an acre and a half of the about seven-acre property, on the northern side of the Watson property, is a challenge.

The sewage system has been previously evaluated and has been proven to not be able to accommodate more than it already takes, as stated in a previous town meeting. The quickly rising water levels are affecting more and more coastal sewage systems all over the world. The Narragansett Times recently reported the reason that the Town of Narragansett rejected a development plan is due to the rising of the water plate and its impact on its sewage system.

The Town of Lincoln recently had to install large trenches around a high density development due to sewage and flood problems. In February, the BBC had reported on a sewage problem in London that has been a continuous disturbance and health hazard due to the rise of sea levels.

Watson Avenue has not been any different. If we walk down closer to the beach, the sewage smell is very present. 

Moreover, the development project will be on a swampy, porous slope which is currently a setting for more than 2,000 trees, two dozen deer, more than 50 turkeys, and thousands of beautiful birds and creatures of all kinds, all supporting its ecosystem to be sustained and to help keep the neighborhood between Narragansett Bay and Brickyard Pond resilient.

If the plan moves forward, the impact will be disastrous, especially during stormy days, due to sewage backup near the beach and flooding all along Nayatt Road down to other streets. The development will be a public health hazard and a severe disturbance. It will also pollute the bay and impact its ecosystem.

The Town of Barrington will have to prepare a hefty cost to remedy the consequences of selling that part of the property for $1.

Nora Aswad

Barrington