A $360,000 sidewalk project in Damariscotta could result in the construction of 950 feet, or about 0.18 miles of sidewalk extending from the Damariscotta Region Information Bureau to the area across from the offices of Mobius, Inc., at 319 Main St.
The project will include the construction of four-foot shoulders, granite curbing, drainage and landscaping. Depending on the outcome of negotiations with the Dept. of Transportation, about $30,000 may fund the modification or replacement of a culvert under Bus. Rt. 1.
A $288,000 Transportation Enhancement grant will fund the majority of the project, while $72,000 in matching funds from the town will cover the balance. The town must hold two public hearings on the project. The first is scheduled for Wed., Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m.
“Sidewalks cost what sidewalks cost,” Dick McLean, chairman of the Damariscotta Board of Selectmen, said Nov. 8. “It’s amazing how much sidewalks cost.”
McLean said the cost per linear foot of sidewalk would be the same regardless of location.
Damariscotta Town Manager Greg Zinser said the $360,000 figure is derived from estimated construction costs in 2007, when the estimate was put together. It is possible the actual construction cost will come in lower than the estimate, Zinser said.
Most importantly, McLean said, the needs and desires of the town justify the project. “That is a run of sidewalk that the people of this town have wanted for decades,” he said.
A DOT representative did not respond to a request for comment.
The grant requires the town to build the sidewalk before Dec. 30, 2011.
Construction will create a “congestion issue” downtown, Zinser said, but the estimate includes funding for traffic control.
