Borough Sidewalk Project Gets $150,000 In State Funding

By Steve Bigham

The boroughwide sidewalk project took a big step forward last week when the state approved the town’s request for $150,000 in Local Capital Improvement (LOCIP) funds. The sidewalk plan was contingent on the town receiving these funds, which are generated from state sales taxes.

By next summer, if all goes well, the center of town should be considerably more pedestrian friendly. Jay Maher of 9 Glover Avenue has headed the Borough of Newtown’s efforts to get sidewalks built. He predicted bid requests would go out in late fall with a final contractor selected soon after that.

The proposed sidewalk project would repair the existing sidewalks and add another 3,500 feet of sidewalk within an inner-loop of the borough. The new five-foot wide concrete sidewalks would be built along the southern part of the eastern side of Main Street, along the northern side of Glover Avenue, the western side of Queen Street, and then up Church Hill Road on the northern side. These added sidewalks would connect with existing sidewalks on the upper part of Main Street

The estimated cost is $205,000, of which the town was asked to put up $150,000 in this year’s budget. Instead, the Board of Selectmen opted to pull the money out of the budget and fund the project through LOCIP.

The state’s Office of Policy and Management (OPM) wasted little time in approving the request, which was filed by First Selectman Herb Rosenthal’s office in late August. The state considers sidewalks a high priority for LOCIP funding.

Mr Maher said 90 percent of the funding is now in place. The project would take about four to six weeks to complete.

The borough, which plans to put up $35,000 of its own money, is considered a separate government within the Town of Newtown.

Workers from Connecticut Bomanite Company recently laid down 230 feet of new sidewalk in front of the Budd House at 50 Main Street. That project, along with a similar one last year in front of 48 Main Street, was paid for through the Borough of Newtown budget.