Town officials on Tuesday approved a contract to nearly double the number of parking spaces available at a heavily used lot in Waveny.
Part of improving the “Western Lot” at the park will involve “relocating the accessible spaces to align with the accessible route and remodeling the sidewalk to lead toward additional parking by the softball and soccer fields,” according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann.
“We’ll also replace the existing decorative lighting and add new lighting,” Mann told the Board of Selectmen at their regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.
He continued: “We’ll be adding approximately 17 spaces. It’s going to be a much more efficient layout than it is today.”
First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the $479,664.19 contract with New Canaan-based Peter Lanni Inc. The contract entails jobs such as the milling, reclaiming, and repaving of Waveny’s “Western Lot,” according to the Board of Selectmen’s agenda.
The approval comes after the selectmen previously delayed the project at their July 22 meeting. Since then, the selectmen visited the lot to gain a better understanding of the upgrades that are needed.
Mann said that his department received two bids after soliciting 10 contractors, and Peter Lanni Inc. was the lowest bidder. The money is available in the DPW budget under their parking lot management improvement program.
“This lot was on the list from the Department of Justice as being noncompliant, specifically the accessible route in the accessible parking area,” Mann said. “We’ll have to realign the lot and slightly enlarge it.”
The substantial cost of the project is because the lot hasn’t been touched in decades, according to Mann.
“I don’t have anything in my records regarding when it has been repaved,” he said. “Overall, the space is not maximized. There are dumpsters in the middle of the lot. It’s just not efficient from a parking standpoint.”
Before discussing potential maintenance costs and strategies, Selectman Murphy Carroll asked Mann about the timing of the project and accessibility to the Waveny House as construction occurs.
“It’s going to take three to four weeks,” Mann said. “We should be able to accommodate people to park a majority of the time, and we’ll move through the site to provide accessibility to the facility. The goal is to start within the next two weeks.”
He continued: “The contractor is well aware of where he’s working, who he’s working for, and the fact that it’s a venue. He understands that access to the building should be given at all times, even while he’s working. The only time that we will have to close the lot is when we’re tearing it out or putting it back in.”