[OvertaxedOnLI]

I've been sent a listing (house-hunting "long distance" at this point) for a home for sale in South Windsor and would love some input about the town in general (demographics, economics, general ambience )

I'm also concerned about any areas that might have drainage issues (poor drainage, wetlands, natural ponds). Those are things I'd want to avoid having at or close to any home I buy. The home is off Nevers Road, and the map makes it look like it's about a half-mile from the High School Annex (something that does not thrill me, but maybe the area is very wooded/private??). Any problems with that general area that residents can tell me about?

Would love input before I decide to make a 3-hr drive each way,just to see this one house...

[BigHouse9]

I grew up in South Windsor and consider it to be a great town but I think I have a bias. What street is the road on and maybe I could PM you more info?

As far as SW goes, it is an old tobacco town. It has a great school system and a lot of newer housing developments mixed in with older developments. Close to shopping and highways. Does not have much of a business base (although I think some of the Buckland Mall and Evergreen Walk are on SW property) and is mostly residential. It is an easy to commute to Hartford as well.

[clamboy]

I'm ready to defect from LI due to taxes.
Id love some input on SW or Somers.

[sun]

Somers is home to 2 of CT's prisons:
Northern Correctional Facility and Osborn Correctional Facility. Osborn used to be named Somers State Prison, a maximum security facitility, but now could have become a medium security facility.
In addition, there were some contaminated wells on one of the prison sites affecting a nearby residential area, but that appears to have been resolved with the availabilty of extended municiple water lines in the 1990's AFAIK.
Also, some areas in north central CT were former broadleaf tobacco farms going back many years ago. There was some EDB contamination (ethylene something bromide?) discovered in groundwater wells 10 -20 years ago from pesticide use that resulted in water having to be supplied to some residents of some towns.
I'm not sure which towns were involved and how widespread it was, but the consequences did last for a number of years in some places.
I'm not trying to raise a false issue, but it's something to learn more about if you're not already aware of it. As mentioned, it might not even involve those towns, and it's been out of the news for such a long time now that it's all but forgotten. But that doesn't mean that all of the consequences have disappeared. Maybe municiple water lines have solved all of the problems, I don't know.

[skytrekker]

I know the area reasonably well- I know where the High School Annex is. Which is the school and a very large parkland zone.
The location of the house is likely to be in a residential area north of the HS- which is good, because it will not be near Sullivan Ave (which carries a fair amount of traffic), nor Ellington Road.

You will be reasonably close to Town Hall/Police Station/PO and library. There is fine shopping and excellent restaurants 15 minutes away. The Topstone golf course is also nearby.

That part of South Windsor is far from areas of the Connecticut river that are prone to flooding in case of extreme weather conditions. The area is partially wooded with some empty fields adjacent, and older single family homes. I do not see any wetland areas of concern- check with the town of South Windsor. It is a nice area of town.

At a distance of one half a mile from the HS- its impact should be small. The HS in fact is located on a high hill or bluff, with views to the west of the Hartford skyline. Additionally the Annex area is also a large and pleasant park area called Nevers Road Park, which acts as a buffer with the surrounding homes.

[JayCT]

To find out more about the neighborhood you are interested in, contact the Town Enginner's office. THey can tell you if the area has a flooding issue or not. South windsor is a great town and very convenient to everything (I-84, Hartford, shopping, entertainment, etc.). The problem is to get to some parts of town you must travel through some busy areas. This can be annoying but most locals have learned their way around the congested areas. Good luck, Jay

[clamboy]

Hmmm
The Jail doesnt bother me but bad groundwater does.
It well service up ther I believe

Anyone else have any insight?

Is Ellington in the same boat as Somers?

[clamboy]

If I go to Eastern SW will that eliminate flooding concerns?

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by clamboy

If I go to Eastern SW will that eliminate flooding concerns?

Flooding concerns in South Windsor are very limited to a small strip west of route US 5 very near the CT river- and that happens minimally in the spring- and at the worse end of the spectrum every 30 years.

Anyplace east of route US 5 will be Flood free- even under the worse case scenario with sea rise attributed to global warming.

[clamboy]

Thank you Sir

Were pretty much between SW and Somers.

Should I be afraid of the well water in Tolland County?