The Board of Selectmen during its most recent meeting approved an approximately $20,0000 contract for more “bumpouts” on Elm Street.
The elected body voted 3-0 in favor of the $19,943.75 with Williams Stone Co. for the purchase of granite curbing.
The material will be used for sidewalk widenings or “bumpouts” on the southern side of Elm Street, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann.
The new bumpouts will be located in two areas on that side of Elm. One is directly opposite the Playhouse, in front of the Bank of America building, and the other is at South and Elm on both sides of South Avenue (see diagram above).
Asked by the selectmen when the new bumpouts work will take place, Mann said “April, May.”
“And then we can come back in and pave, because it seems like everyone’s done on the street, thankfully,” Mann said during the Board’s regular meeting, held Jan. 28 at Town Hall and via videoconference.
He referred to utility companies that repeatedly dig up Elm Street.
The selectmen noted that Elm Street seems to get re-cut for some project or other as soon as it’s repaved.
Mann said in response, “The moment we pave it is the moment they’re going to cut it again.”
During the meeting, Mann said that the town went to two different suppliers of granite curbing for estimates, and noted that larger companies are starting to buy smaller ones.
“You’re starting to see a consolidation in granite curbing,” he said.
Elm Street has seen sidewalk bumpouts on the northern side, a result of positive response to increased outdoor dining during the pandemic.
First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectmen Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll voted 3-0 in favor of the contract with Otis, Mass.-based Williams Stone Co.
So the taxpayers pay to increase outdoor space for restaurants thus enhancing their profitability whilst said taxpayer loses out on parking spaces – how does that make sense? Food vendors ought to pay a fee for the added square footage and profitability to their operations.
The bumpouts are not eliminating overall parking spaces, if I remember right. I think what’s happening is that by placing the bumpouts at certain crosswalks, the width of Elm is altered so that those intersections are no longer subject to a state law whereby there’s no parking allowed within 25 feet of the crosswalk. So that will free up parking. The town is also installing longer bumpouts on the north side of Elm—there’s one that runs right now from Ralph Lauren up to Blackbird—where there’s parallel parking. The curb length required for parallel parking is more than the angled parking on the south side of Elm. So while the bumpouts are taking spaces from one side, the gain from the other side more than makes up for the difference. I think that’s what DPW said.
Thanks for the clarification Mike. My objection is more over a benefit transfer from the taxpayer to restaurateurs only, the latter getting to add seasonal revenue-generating square footage at essentially no cost. That seems arbitrary to me. I’m all for supporting shopkeepers in our special downtown, but this benefit of adding space mostly ignores our retail shops (apart from the potential of added sales from those who shop after their lunch).
I’m all for wider sidewalks, which are more inviting. And outdoor dining is great. Walking a bit further to one’s car is healthy. I’m all for no vehicles at all on Elm Street, as Burlington Vermont has done, and many European cities have done — it’s safer for pedestrians and for all who breathe less-polluted air, and we’ll all be healthier when we walk more. We’re making New Canaan better.