DIXFIELD — Residents overwhelmingly voted Thursday evening against appropriating $46,850 from surplus as a 20 percent match for building a sidewalk along Weld Street.
The Maine Department of Transportation project is part of a Safe Routes to School grant.
In early 2013, the town agreed to move forward with constructing 3,500 feet of sidewalk from Dirigo High School to T.W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School, and constructing a sidewalk the length of Nash Street to the Regional School Unit 10 superintendent’s building. The cost would be split 80-20 between the town and the state DOT.
The Nash Street sidewalk project was abandoned by the town last month because the $68,201 cost was considered too high.
Mike Laberge, DOT local projects coordinator, told selectmen in June that engineers estimated the cost for the Weld Street sidewalk would be 20 to 30 percent more than expected, or $484,250. The state would pay $387,400; the town, $96,850.
He attributed the increase to a loss of federal funding in 2012, which resulted in a delay between the project’s design and when funding would be available.
At Thursday’s special town meeting, resident Scott Belskis reminded residents that increasing the number of sidewalks would increase the amount of time and money the Public Works Department spends cleaning them.
Public Works Foreman Randy Glover said a 3,500-foot sidewalk would cost about $1,000 for every cleaning.
“It takes about three hours to clean up the sidewalks,” Glover said. “Over the course of the year, it would be an additional 96 hours for us.”
Board Chairman Hart Daley asked Glover how many storms the Public Works Department dealt with in 2014.
Glover estimated there were 32 which had required sidewalk cleaning.
Town Manager Carlo Puiia reminded residents, “It was estimated in the initial report for the project that there were 5,000 cars a day traveling from Route 2 to the middle school. Would you want to put your child or grandchild on a street like that without a sidewalk?”
One resident said there was a police officer who sat on the road every morning with a radar gun.
“That slows cars down pretty fast,” she said. “Plus, kids already cut through other roads to get to the school. I think the problem has already been solved. I don’t think it’s necessary to pour more money into that street.”
Police Chief Jeff Howe said he was most concerned about how well the asphalt sidewalks would hold up.
“On some of the newer asphalt sidewalks, the edge is already starting to fold,” Howe said.
He was, however, in favor of the project.
“I understand it will be an expense on us, and I don’t want to see my taxes rise, but I feel that this is a project worth investing in,” he said. “Sure, a kid hasn’t been hit on that road yet, but you don’t want to wait until someone is hit before doing something.”
Resident Dan McKay said the DOT has warned the town that the price of the project could be subject to increases, and the town has “already dealt with two increases.”
“I’ll tell you what: I’ve been in construction for 40 years,” McKay said. “I guarantee you that when this project is put out to bid, it’s going to be more than this estimated amount.”
There is “no guarantee that the kids will use the sidewalk once it’s built,” Belskis said.
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