During a July 20 Legislative Council presentation, Newtown Director of Planning George Benson said he recently came across a 1911 Newtown Bee article promoting one of the most important things the town could do - connecting Sandy Hook to the flagpole with one contiguous sidewalk.

"So we're a little behind … but we're getting there," Mr Benson said, to a few snickers from council members.

All joking aside, however, the planning official spent about 20 minutes reviewing how far Newtown has come in recent years toward achieving a much more ambitious goal regarding its sidewalk system.

The plan, with several segments either funded or completed, will eventually result in a loop fed by a spur down Riverside Road from Sandy Hook School to sidewalks extending either up Church Hill Road past the middle and Hawley Schools to the flagpole, or southward to the high school, up Wasserman Way past Reed School and Fairfield Hills to Main Street, and eventually connecting back up at the flagpole.

Mr Benson explained that more recent policies will help hasten completion of the plan or go far toward completing that spur and circle. He said local rules now require any commercial development anywhere along the "loop" to include new sidewalks if they are not there already.

First Selectman Pat Llodra, who was on hand for the meeting, added that state level policies also ensure that sidewalks will be installed as part of any Connecticut DOT improvements being planned for several expanses along the route.

To date, Mr Benson said the town has put up about $276,000, or about 30 percent of the cost to finish four key segments of the loop. Those completed, or soon-to-be completed segments include:

*Mile Hill Road to Queen Street up Wasserman Way to Trades Lane - with $360,000 in funding coming from CTDOT, and $90,000 from the town;

*Glover Avenue to Mile Hill at Walgreens/Route 25, with $360,000 from CTDOT, and $90,000 from the town;

*Church Hill Road between the railroad trestle to the Route 84 bridge overpass, fully funded by CTDOT as part of the confirmed realignment of Commerce and Edmond Roads;

*Main Street flagpole to the existing sidewalk adjacent to The Newtown Bee Building, with $200,000 funded by private donation, and $96,000 from the town.

Mr Benson estimated the costs to complete the loop by finishing the following segments:

*Church Hill Road from the Route 84 bridge overpass to Dayton Street. This plan includes sidewalks on both sides of road, with a planned length of about 3,000 feet at $75/foot equaling $225,000.

*Route 34 along Washington/Berkshire Roads from Sandy Hook Center to Newtown High School, with a planned length of about 5,000 feet and costing $375,000.

*Wasserman Way from Trades Lane to High School with a planned length of about 6,500 feet and costing $488,000.

*From Glover Avenue down Queen Street to Wasserman Way with a planned length of about 3,600 feet and costing $270,000.

Mr Benson said that Newtown has been fortunate to receive one unplanned state grant that was originally slated for a project in neighboring Bridgewater, but the funding was eventually rejected and was offered to and accepted by Newtown.

Another state grant that was going to supplement sidewalks on Wasserman Way between the high school and Trades Lane at Reed School was increased to further that segment of sidewalks all the way to Main Street at Walgreens, Mr Benson said.

Mrs Llodra pointed out that another state project that will widen the area of Sugar Street from its intersection with Main down Route 302 to Elm Drive will also include sidewalks funded completely within the DOT project framework.

"And when they do Toddy Hill Road at the intersection of Route 34, which is planned for 2017, if not sooner, [the state] will also do sidewalks in that area," Mrs Llodra said.

On questioning from Council Chair Mary Ann Jacob regarding planned sidewalks between Sandy Hook School to Sandy Hook Center, Mr Benson said that some roadside slopes pose design challenges that will require an infusion of grant funds to complete.

Mrs Llodra said because of the taking of property and retaining walls that would be required, the estimate to complete that segment of sidewalks could cost in excess of $300,000.

Council Vice Chair Paul Lundquist asked how spending on sidewalks is prioritized.

Mr Benson said that in areas like the stretch connecting Main Street to Church Hill Road from the flagpole where funds came mostly from private donors, those donors can pick and choose which areas of sidewalk will be developed.

Mrs Llodra added that public funds are included in this and future capital planning plans, and being prioritized to planned sidewalk areas that will see the most anticipated traffic.

"We're not going to be building sidewalks to nowhere where nobody is going to walk on it," the first selectman said.