Blasts Planned for Five Corners Construction Project

Last week Heathcote residents who live near the Five Corners received letters from MD Drilling and Blasting in regard to the construction project now going on at 1 Palmer Avenue . According to the letter, MD has been selected to do the rock drilling and blasting that will be required to build the new 11,000 square foot retail building on the site, which includes two levels of underground parking.

In order to get the permit to conduct the blasts, the company is required to offer home inspections residents who live nearby to document any existing cracks in the foundation or walls. Once this is done, residents will be able to ascertain whether or not the blasts damage their homes. Residents have a choice of whether or not they wish to allow the inspectors inside.

This is the first notification that neighbors received about the upcoming explosions, which the letter says will be conducted during daylight hours. According to the letter a whistle warning sequence will precede the blasts and those nearby could “experience low levels of ground vibration.” The company plans to use "the most advanced technologies available to measure the seismic effect of the area." Given the areas close proximity to the Heathcote Elementary School, the blasts could be a cause for concern. During the approval process for the project, concerned residents closely scrutinized the plans but there was no discussion about the need to use explosives to build the new structure.

According to Scarsdale Building Department Engineer Nunzio Pietrosanti, similar blasting was done when the new building was constructed at Christie Place with little disruption to the area. The survey is just the first step in the process of getting a permit to conduct the blasts.

Update: To respond to questions from readers, we contacted a representative from MD Drilling and Blasting in Bloomfield, CT. They advised any neighbors within 250 feet of the site of the upcoming work.