Westerly - State of Rhode Island: Division of Planning

The Westerly Comprehensive Plan5.2 Solid Waste DisposalWesterly owns and operates a solid waste transfer station located at 39 Larry Hirsh Way. The towndoes not provide curbside pickup but rather sells orange trash bags at $1.25 per bag (or five large 33gallon bags for $6.00 or five small 15 gallon bags for $3.00) that residents fill and return to thetransfer station on their own. Special charges are applied to items that do not fit in the designatedbags.There is also a recycling facility directly adjacent to the transfer station where residents bringrecyclables at no charge. This system has been in place for several years and, according to the PublicWorks Director, works well since residents have an incentive to separate recyclables to save money.The town compacts the trash at the transfer station, loads and trucks it to the state’s central facilityin Johnston, Rhode Island where it is landfilled. If residents choose not to haul their trash, there area number of licensed private haulers that will collect it for a fee. If residents use a private hauler,they are not required to use the specially designated bags. It is estimated that slightly more than halfof the residents hire a private hauler.5.3 Natural Gas and ElectricBoth gas and electric service in Westerly are provided by National Grid. The utility also owns andmaintains the town’s utility poles and electric lines. Some of the newer developments have buriedtheir utilities. There has been some call by residents to bury existing lines, and while the cost ofdoing so has restricted these operations, a number of private individuals have paid to accomplish itin their immediate neighborhoods. In Watch Hill, the Watch Hill Conservancy has completed anearly $600,000 engineering study to prepare for the undergrounding of utility lines in a mile-longsection of its commercial district. It is now seeking funding of approximately $8.5 million needed toenable construction to move forward.Gas service is available in some areas of town; however, the main transmission line is not adequateto provide broad town-wide service. There are reported to be approximately 4,000 gas serviceconnections in Westerly. National Grid owns and maintains the gas lines in Westerly. Lines runalong many of the major roads and can be extended to meet demand. There is a major gate stationalong a large gas pipeline in Westerly that can supply a significant number of new services as theneed arises.5.4 Public LibraryThe Westerly Public Library and Wilcox Park are located on approximately 15 acres at 44 BroadStreet in the center of town. The library and adjacent park are owned and operated by the Memorialand Library Association of Westerly. Located in Westerly’s historic district, this facility serves all ofWashington County, as well as neighboring communities in Connecticut. The library receivesfunding from state, local and other sources. In 2006, 57% of the library’s funding came from nonpublicsources, 22% came from the State and 21% came from local sources (Westerly andStonington and North Stonington, Connecticut).In addition to books and periodicals, the Library offers public-access computers, books-on-tape,DVDs and compact discs. Public programs include plays, concerts, lectures and civic discussions.The Library is ranked among the top 10 in the State for number of items in circulation, number ofWesterly, Rhode Island 85