OLD LYME, CT — The Halls Road Sidewalk Committee voted unanimously Oct. 21 to recommend changing the proposed sidewalk route, placing portions of the project on opposite sides of Halls Road rather than following the existing design.
Under the revised plan, the sidewalk would run along the north side of Halls Road from Lyme Street to the west side of Huntley Road, then continue along the south side to Route 156.
The recommendation now goes to the Board of Selectmen for consideration. If selectmen approve the change, the town will submit a request to the Connecticut Department of Transportation to authorize the modified plan.
First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker informed the committee in an Oct. 21 memorandum that DOT would allow the town to pursue the divided route, according to the meeting minutes.
Committee member Bret Enman moved to recommend the change, and Mark Comstock seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
In an Oct. 13 letter to the committee, Enman recommended moving the portion of the sidewalk between Huntley Road and Route 156 to the south side of Halls Road.
He said the change would allow the sidewalk to be built farther from the roadway and provide space for a snow shelf.
Enman also said the revised alignment would improve the proposed sidewalk design near Treasures.
Committee Chair Timothy Griswold confirmed that members had received Enman's letter before discussing the proposed change.
Aaron Mortensen of Jacobson Engineering told the committee that additional surveying required for the revised alignment would cost approximately $15,000.
Mortensen said surveying already completed for the project would provide information useful for work along the south side of Halls Road between Huntley Road and Route 156.
He reported that the town had been billed approximately $36,800 through August, with an additional September bill expected to total about $5,000.
The committee also reviewed the project's overall engineering budget and available grant funding.
The town has received an $800,000 Community Connectivity Grant for the sidewalk project, but committee members questioned whether the award would cover both engineering and construction expenses and whether a municipal funding match would be required.
The engineering budget is approximately $279,490.
According to the minutes, $36,783.89 had been spent as of Aug. 28, including $36,149 for budgeted engineering work, $1,508.46 for discussions about the sidewalk's alignment and $635 for grant-related work.
Griswold reported that town Land Use staff had helped identify the route of an underground drainage pipe carrying water from a stream behind the Lyme Art Association toward the Lieutenant River.
The pipe crosses beneath Halls Road, reaches a catch basin on the south side and then returns beneath the roadway before discharging into a marsh near the Hangry Goose restaurant.
Griswold said the pipe's location should not create a significant problem for sidewalk construction between the drainage bulkhead and Webster Bank.
Committee member Chris Kerr asked whether the town should continue considering a pedestrian crossing between the entrances to the Hideaway shopping center and the post office.
Griswold said the existing crossing at Huntley Road would be safer because it has a pedestrian signal.
He also noted that establishing a crossing near the post office could require the town to pay for additional pedestrian signal equipment.
No action was taken on an additional crossing.
The committee also discussed the Old Lyme Historic District Commission's jurisdiction over construction within 300 feet of Lyme Street.
Griswold said he had attended a recent commission meeting and presented preliminary engineering plans for the sidewalk project.
Members agreed that continued coordination with the commission would be important because part of the proposed sidewalk falls within its jurisdiction.
The committee also discussed the eventual replacement of the Lieutenant River vehicle bridge.
Shoemaker said DOT expects to replace the bridge within five to seven years.
Kerr asked whether the proposed sidewalk could be cantilevered from the north side of the existing bridge. Shoemaker said DOT would not permit that arrangement.
The committee also received information about a 110-foot pedestrian bridge constructed in downtown Manchester, Vermont, using weathering steel.
The committee's unanimous vote does not constitute final approval of the revised sidewalk alignment.
The Board of Selectmen must first consider the recommendation before the town can formally seek DOT approval for the modified route.
The committee also approved its Sept. 23 meeting minutes. No public comments were received.
The meeting began at 6:32 p.m. and adjourned at 7:40 p.m.
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