Work Progresses On Sandy Hook Center Beautification Project
Work Progresses On Sandy Hook Center Beautification Project
By Andrew Gorosko
A crew from LRM, Inc, this week continued work on the Sandy Hook Center Streetscape Project, a town effort intended to beautify the area, with the goal of attracting more visitors to economically stimulate the compact business district.
Rob Manna of LRM handled the controls of an excavator being used to create the foundations for new sidewalks to be installed along both sides of Church Hill Road.
After having started sidewalk installation in front of 100 Church Hill Road on the south side of the street, workers progressed westward toward Newtown United Methodist Church at 92 Church Hill Road.
Mr Manna said that new textured concrete sidewalks, which simulate red bricks, should extend to the western driveway of the church by October 7.
After the sidewalks are completed along the south side of the street, sidewalks will be installed on the north side of Church Hill Road, extending from the bridge that crosses above the Pootatuck River to Dayton Street.
The improvement project has been in the planning stages since mid-2001.
LRM, Inc, of 57 Church Hill Road will be paid $317,646 to perform the construction. Work is slated to be completed by the end of November.
The streetscape project includes the installation of new sidewalks, curbing, trees, decorative street lighting, crosswalks, and paint striping for parallel parking, plus landscaping elements.
Landscape architect Jane Didona of Didona Associates of Danbury oversaw the projectâs design.
Beyond the Church Hill Road beautification work, future improvements are planned for the sections of Glen Road, Riverside Road, and Washington Avenue, which extend outward from the four-way intersection of those streets.
The overall streetscape project is expected to cost $1.25 million, which will be jointly covered by federal, state, and town funds. The federal share for the work would be $620,000; the state will cover $475,000 of the costs; and the town will assume the remaining $155,000.