Borough Sidewalk Project Hits A Snag

By Steve Bigham

Borough officials are finding there is controversy where the sidewalk ends.

What is being called a major oversight in planning could end up pushing the end of the sidewalk project off for as much as a month.

Late last week, Jay Maher, a member of the Borough Board of Burgesses, discovered that there is more to Newtown’s historic district than just Main Street. The surprising realization forced him to suspend the sidewalk project in front of The Newtown Bee after learning that the newspaper’s offices do in fact lie within the district.

Historic District regulations require a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic District Commission before any visible changes or improvements can be made to properties in the district.

Borough officials, unaware of the district restrictions, had planned to lay concrete sidewalk in front of The Bee, just as had been done last week along Glover Avenue, Queen Street, and the area along Church Hill Road to the east of newspaper’s offices. And last week, workers from Trumbull Construction were moving their way up Church Hill Road, pouring concrete sidewalk as they went. However, as they dug up the existing sidewalk in front of The Bee offices, owner R. Scudder Smith asked when the more aesthetic Bomanite product, used on portions of sidewalk in other areas of the Main Street Historic District, was to arrive. He was told there were no plans to put down that particular material, except along historic Main Street.

Sidewalk construction along Church Hill Road has been halted ever since and it appears it will continue to be for some time, leaving an unfinished sidewalk trench in front of the newspaper.

This week, Borough sidewalk director Jay Maher was trying to resolve the problem, which is forcing major changes in the overall scope and cost of the project. Meanwhile, the front of The Bee remains torn up.

“People didn’t realize The Bee was part of the historic district,” Mr Maher explained. “We’re working to move it along. It’s unclear what the potential up-charge will be.”

And this week, the Historic District Commission has gotten involved, scheduling a public hearing on a certificate of appropriateness for the sidewalk on July 11 at 7:30 pm in the conference room at Town Hall South. Until now, sidewalk planners had failed to apply for a certificate of appropriateness.

There is no regulation prohibiting concrete sidewalks in the historic district; however, there appears to be an understanding that concrete is not the most appropriate material.

“I can’t say what the outcome of a public hearing will be, but I do know concrete would not be our favorite material there,” noted Historic District Chairman Stephanie Gaston. “Scudder has a process with which he can go by.”

Mr Maher, who spent nearly five years pushing the sidewalk project, says the effort has indeed been a learning experience. He said another contractor would have to be secured since the installation of Bomanite is considered a specialty.

Mr Smith says he is disappointed with the engineering of the project, particularly the area along Church Hill Road where in one spot the sidewalk drops off nearly nine feet to the inside. In addition, the height of the curb is seven inches higher along the roadway, turning the sidewalk into something that one observer described as an elevated runway for the Miss America pageant.

“It’s going to put our clock seven inches below the level of the sidewalk,” Mr Smith said, referring to the street clock in front of The Bee offices. “The new curb that’s in will eliminate our bottom step by the front entrance. It’s totally asinine.”

Some residents are also watching with interest to see what will be put down at the corner of Main  Street and Glover Avenue.

Two weeks ago, the Borough sidewalk project kicked off. It involved the installation of 3,500 linear feet of sidewalk within an inner loop of the borough. The job is designed to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment within “downtown” Newtown.

The $150,000 project has been funded almost entirely through state Local Capital Improvement (LOCIP) money. LOCIP money comes from the state and is received by the town and borough from state revenue. The town put the project on its five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) nearly three years ago. Two years ago, the town agreed to fund a $10,500 engineering study for borough sidewalks. The Borough of Newtown, considered a separate government within the Town of Newtown, played a key role in getting the sidewalk issue put on the town’s agenda. Early estimates had the project coming in at $200,000 and the borough was prepared to solicit money to cover any extra costs. However, Trumbull Construction’s bid was well under that price.

Borough Historic District members are Betsy Kenyon, Chuck Fulkerson, Renee McManus, John Shannon, and Stephanie Gaston.