The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved a contract with a Rocky Hill-based company to replace the sidewalk on Southwood Drive.
Together with Southwood, neighborhoods scheduled for new sidewalks include Heritage Hill, East Avenue and South Avenue, according to Public Works Director Tiger Mann.
“We’ll be looking for a grant on East Avenue,” Mann told the selectmen during their meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “That’s really where we’re dialing it in.”
The sidewalks will be fully concrete, apart from the downtown area, and won’t require granite curbing, he said.
Selectman Amy Murphy Carroll said, “Sidewalks are expensive. And the concrete sidewalks are way nicer than the asphalt ones.”
Murphy Carroll, First Selectman Dionna Carlson and Selectman Steve Karl voted 3-0 in favor of the $243,600 contract with VVV Industries.
The only granite curbing required on Southwood will be on the disabled ramps “so that if a car or a plow strikes them, they hit the granite and won’t chip the concrete,” Mann said.
“The granite will stay, and the concrete will last,” he said.
The town publicly advertised the project and solicited bids from 11 separate contractors, according to Mann.
Five bids were received, ranging from about $221,000 to $353,000.
“It’s interesting to note that VVV beat out both Peter Lanni and Stumpers, which were the two lowest bidders from previous bids,” he said. “They’re a new contractor in our area.”
Carlson asked how many feet of sidewalk the town would receive for $221,000.
Mann responded, “We get around 10,000 square feet that are five feet wide, so it’s about 2,000 feet.”
The sidewalks now are “in need of replacement,” he said.
“We’ll get much better longevity out of the construction- 20-plus years or more,” he said.
Currently, VVV is working on a ramp project at the New Canaan Nature Center, Mann said.
VVV’s prices were “just a little lower on each item,” he said.
“Their concrete sidewalk pricing was 25 to 75 cents lower per square foot,” Mann said.
Karl said he was cautious because VVV is a new contractor for the town.
Upgrading to concrete sidewalks and durable granite curbing represents a long-term, cost-effective investment in neighborhood safety and infrastructure. These improvements are a welcome, necessary addition to the community.