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Garage barber shop owner to lose property to Route 82 traffic project.
Owner Lorenzo Paulino talks about how the proposed Route 82 detour in Norwich will affect his business, Garage Barber Shop.
Matt Grahn, Bulletin
NORWICH – While Connecticut wants to make driving in Norwich safer, it comes at the cost of closing and displacing local businesses.
In June, the state Department of Transportation reiterated to the people of Norwich that a multi-year project to add a total of six roundabouts on West Main Street would require land acquisition. Land grabbing can cause some businesses to lose property.
In the first phase, five businesses will lose their positions.
“I don’t know why people want to do this,” said Lorenzo Paulino, owner of Garage Barber Shop LLC, one of the parcels of land seized. “not good; It is very bad,” he said.
Josh Morgan, a spokesman for the Department of Transportation, said in an email that everything is an ongoing process.
“CTDOT will continue to work closely with city officials, local residents and the business community on next steps as the plaza safety improvement project progresses,” Morgan said. “When the time comes, there will be extensive public relations and informational meetings regarding Part 2.”
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Paulino opened his current barbershop three years ago. He chose this location because it is in the best part of town and is easily accessible because of Route 82. The customers are from casino towns.
“This place is easy for everyone,” Paulino said. “I tell them I’m next door to Chelsea Groton Bank, and it’s the only one we have here on West Main.”
During this time, he built relationships with clients, including some that turned into friendships.
“If I move, it’s like starting over,” Paulino said.
One of Paulino’s customers, Xavier Martinez of Mashantucket, said the Spanish-speaking barber loves living nearby and is not sure what Garage Barber Shop would do if it had to move.
“Right now, I’m driving 25 minutes here,” he said. “I can’t go to him if he’s gone for an hour.”
So far, Paulino hasn’t heard from anyone from the state.
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Dayna Gallivan, owner and operator of All The Right Moves Dance Center, has known about the project for at least five years. She talked to the state, but they focused on a plan that would force her out of her current building.
“I’m so sorry,” Gallivan says, nothing. “No apologies, until the end of what happens.”
Gallivan has a long history at 299 West Main St. Her business has been there for 28 of its 33 years. Gallivan said she and her husband bought the building from someone who wanted to see it used and alive, with a coffee shop being one of the original businesses there. Gallivan said he was more than happy to sell the building to the dance studio after meeting the previous owner in the kitchen.
While the pandemic has been challenging for everyone, Gallivan said business has been good in previous years. Her location helped businesses, provided a view from the main street, and gave students something to do while their parents were running around.
“They are very excited about the property being on West Main Street where it’s all about,” Gallivan said.
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On a typical day, the studio has 10 classes per weekday night. Four of Gallivan’s teachers, including her daughter, were former students of the studio, creating a family atmosphere.
Gallivan doesn’t want to leave the city, because Norwich is the central hub for all the surrounding towns and West Main Street is a famous place. The thought of being forced to move after all the years and efforts she has put in where she is now is terrible.
“I can’t afford another building on that strip, the way prices are going now,” Gallivan said. “These parents can’t pay for a dance to buy a new building.”
Gallivan said she is not yet sure how much the state will pay her in compensation.
“We haven’t gotten that far,” Gallivan said. “I know I don’t want the square, and I know it drives people away. All business on that road will be destroyed.
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Rick Morrison, Paul’s friend, owns and operates Vac Plus LLC with clients from the coast to Plainfield and Rhode Island, and others have retired from this niche business over the years. Morrison isn’t losing ground, but he’s still concerned about the business that comes from the construction.
“During construction, I don’t know how they’re going to maintain the flow of traffic without affecting when customers come in,” Morrison said.
Morrison said the only connection from the state is the layout of the plan.
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These business owners understand how dangerous Route 82 can be, mainly because of the speed, but they still wonder why the roundabout is a last resort.
“Why don’t you put a stop sign or something on the road?” Paulino said.
Gallivan is also hoping for a less invasive plan, calling all six squares “excessive.” Instead, she advocates increasing speed bumps and increasing police presence.
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“They need to slow it down, but I’m sure there are other ways to do it before they go into this operation,” Gallivan said. “There has to be a happy medium, which I don’t think they want to discuss.”
Morrison agreed with Gallivan that he should get an additional ticket from the police.
“I bet they get paid 10 times their salary per ticket they can write,” he said.
Morrison called the section of Route 82 a “raceway” because people can drive at speeds of up to 80 mph.
“If you start from where the Shell gas station is, to this light, it’s a straight shot,” Morrison said.
What happens next?
Paulino hopes there is a way to build around existing businesses. Morrison said he’s not sure things will be any different.
Gallivan said the construction would take years, so people could avoid the west side entirely.
“Before I hit all the construction to get to a little place, I used to drive to Lisbon or I would drive to Waterford,” Gallivan said.
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