By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
Mayor Nancy R. Rossi is sending a clear message to the public: Illegal dumping will not be tolerated in West Haven and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Rossi’s warning comes in response to an Aug. 1 incident in which police arrested an employee of a West Haven landscaping company for alleged illegal dumping behind the former Nick’s Luncheonette at 423 First Ave.
According to acting Public Works Commissioner Lou Esposito, police were alerted by the mayor’s office and called to Nick’s on the afternoon of Aug. 1, where officers found trash strewn across the parking lot of the recently closed restaurant. The trash was composed of building materials, household goods and TVs, Esposito said.
Police investigated the scene and determined that the trash came from a home in New Haven. The house is apparently being renovated by a New Haven contractor who allegedly hired a third party to remove and dispose of the home’s trash.
Later that day, police arrested and charged the landscaping company employee with two counts of illegal dumping. The infraction, according to Chapter 446d, Section 22a-250 of the Connecticut General Statutes, carries a fine of $219 per violation, bringing the total fine to $438, Esposito said.
The employee was also ordered to properly dispose of the trash from the parking lot and to clean up the site, which was “broom-cleaned” by the employee the next morning, Esposito said.
Rossi commended the Police Department for their swift investigation and apprehension of the alleged dumper.
“Quick action by West Haven police is what led to a successful close in this case,” Rossi said. “I encourage people to report incidents like this directly to the police as soon as possible. We need to instill a zero tolerance for dumping in our city.”
The former Nick’s property is now owned by The Haven Group LLC and Simon Property Group, the developers of The Haven, a 235,000-square-foot luxury outlet center.
Nick’s Luncheonette is relocating to the former site of Pizza Hut at 255 Sawmill Road and is expected to reopen in the near future.