Town officials on Tuesday approved an approximately $368,000 contract with a New Canaan-based company to replace and install new sidewalks that will hug the eastern side of Main Street and then Oenoke Ridge for a .8-mile stretch between Heritage Hill and Parade Hill Roads.
The Board of Selectmen during its regular meeting voted 3-0 in favor of the $368,273.84 contract with Peter Lanni Inc.
The sidewalks running along Oenoke Ridge will be replaced and then a new sidewalk will be installed in front two houses to get to the intersection of Parade Hill, Public Works Director Tiger Mann told the selectmen during the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.
The sidewalks are along state Route 124, so they’re within the right-of-way of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, Mann said, “so we need an encroachment permit even though they have no maintenance requirement, no money involved in the project.”
Town Engineer Maria Coplit has been working diligently for two years on the project and the town is “close to getting the encroachment permit,” Mann said.
Funds for the project are available in the fiscal years 2022 and 2023 budgets, he said.
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan and Selectmen Kathleen Corbet and Nick Williams voted 3-0 in favor of the contract.
The selectmen asked whether the sidewalk will be asphalt (no, concrete) and whether the sidewalk will have curbs (only along an approximately 20-foot stretch near the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society).
Corbet said, “That’s going to be a huge improvement over what is there now.”
It seems there is money for every sidewalk in town except for Richmond Hill Rd. This is a high traffic street with high numbers of walkers and a lot of baby strollers. More than three years ago, we are told, a state grant would pay for this sidewalk. What has happened to this grant? Hope no one else gets hurt or worse yet killed while we wait.
The Town is still actively pursuing the final application requirements for the Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program (LOTCIP) Grant.
The town received preliminary approval in late 2019 and a commitment to fund letter in late 2021. The plans are currently with the CTDOT Rails Division and Metro North Railroad for review of the crossing requirements which are quite extensive. The overall guidelines and approvals/reviews for these grants are extensive and time consuming.
As for funding for other sidewalk projects, the DPW has received an annual allocation of funds for sidewalk construction projects in the Town Budget. These funds have typically been for maintenance and replacement of existing sidewalks and not new installations.
It is great news for joggers and walkers that this stretch of sidewalk will get fixed up. I hope that the Town makes additional funds available for sidewalk construction and rehabilitation, including Richmond Hill Road, to make the Town center very accessible to walkers coming from any direction. I would note that we are now repaving the streets following the gas pipeline construction and the sidewalks should be tended to as well as they have sustained damage. Good sidewalks will increase the the economic vitality of downtown New Canaan, and encourage New Canaanites to get outside and exercise.
Excellent news, Thanks for this report!