Planning Proceeds For

Sandy Hook Center Improvements

By Andrew Gorosko

Having largely decided on the specifics for beautifying a section of Church Hill Road in Sandy Hook Center, an ad hoc panel has now turned its attention to the second phase of the public improvement project.

Planning is now focusing on improving sections of Washington Avenue, Riverside Road, and Glen Road, all of which intersect with Church Hill Road at a traffic signal in Sandy Hook Center.

The section of Church Hill Road, lying between its intersection with Dayton Street and the bridge that crosses above the Pootatuck River, is slated for a facelift starting midyear.

Members of the Sandy Hook Center Streetscape Steering Committee met this week to discuss what improvements should be made to sections of Washington Avenue, Riverside Road, and Glen Road in a future phase of the beautification project, said Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker. Conceptual plans for improving the three streets were formulated at a February 8 session, she said.

While new sidewalks would be extended along both sides of Church Hill Road as part of the public improvements, each of the three other streets would receive new sidewalks only on one side of the street.

A sidewalk would be extended along the eastern side of Washington Avenue from the four-way intersection to Washington Avenue’s intersection with Crestwood Drive.

A sidewalk would be extended along the southern side of Riverside Road from the four-way intersection to the driveway entrance to the Villa Restaurant and Pizza at 4 Riverside Road.

Also, a sidewalk would be extended along the western side of Glen Road from the four-way intersection to the antique bridge which links Glen Road to the turnaround circle at the end of Dayton Street. That bridge formerly carried vehicular traffic, but is now used as a pedestrian span.

Sidewalk construction would occur in existing public rights-of-way, resulting in the roadways in the areas where the sidewalks are built becoming somewhat narrower, Ms Stocker said.

Narrowed roadways would create a “traffic-calming” effect in those areas, generally slowing traffic and making the area safer for pedestrians, she said.

Also, the sidewalk design would eliminate the need to construct retaining walls, and also would allow some existing trees to be preserved, she added. The decorative concrete sidewalks, which would simulate red bricks, would be five feet wide.

The conceptual plans concerning improvements to be made to Washington Avenue, Riverside Road, and Glen Road will be presented to state transportation officials for review, Ms Stocker said.

Although a midyear construction start on the Church Hill Road improvements is planned, it is unclear when improvements to the other three streets would be made, she said. The schedule for that construction work hinges on the availability of federal grant funds, she said.

The Sandy Hook Center improvement project does not have funding for new traffic signals at the four-way intersection, nor does it contain money to realign that intersection, which has poor sight lines for motorists.

An existing small traffic island on the corner of Washington Avenue and Riverside Road would be expanded as part of the project. That traffic island holds a wooden utility pole. Removing that utility pole, which carries many utility lines, would be prohibitively expensive, Ms Stocker said.

The overall $1.25 million Sandy Hook Center beautification project is intended to economically revitalize the district. Project planning has been underway for several years.

The project includes the design and installation of new concrete sidewalks, which simulate red bricks; granite curbing; decorative street lighting; and crosswalks, plus landscaping elements. The work is keyed to improving pedestrian mobility and safety, as well as improving the area’s appearance and functioning, with the goal of revitalizing and economically stimulating the commercial hamlet.

The project would be jointly covered by federal, state, and town funds. The federal share for the work would be $620,000; the state would cover $475,000 of the costs; and the town would assume the remaining $155,000.

A $475,000 state grant will cover the Church Hill Road section of the project, as well as the design work for the improvements to be made to sections of the three other streets.