NORWAY – Marston Street residents on Thursday showed overwhelming support for a preliminary sidewalk plan that would provide area children with safe access to Guy E. Rowe Elementary School.
“Love it, love it,” said an enthusiastic John Cullinan, of 6 Marston St., who at an earlier meeting had been concerned that the proposal would require him to give up land. “I’m ready to go back to school.”
Rob Prue of Pine Tree Engineering, who has assisted Norway with several sidewalk and road improvement projects, actually presented the Norway Board of Selectmen and residents with three sidewalk options during the meeting.
After a public hearing, the selectmen voted 5-0 in favor of the second plan, which would make Marston Street one way from Main Street to Tannery Street, provide parking on the west side and a sidewalk on the east side of Marston Street, and provide sidewalks on both sides of School Street.
The plan also calls for the widening of School Street to improve school bus access. Marston Street would support two-way traffic from Tannery Street to Beal Street.
Prue estimated that with upgrades to sewer lines along Marston Street, the entire project would cost $157,000.
A $64,000 Department of Transportation grant and a $16,000 match from an existing town sidewalk fund would cover $80,000 of the work, said Town Manager David Holt.
Holt added that he believes there is enough money in the sidewalk account, in which voters typically agree to place $50,000 a year, to complete the rest of the project without having to raise more funds in 2005.
Prue’s first proposal, which would have included a sidewalk on only the northern side of School Street, carried an estimated cost of $138,000.
Residents like Mary Lou Hallee immediately protested.
“The sidewalk doesn’t come around the corner, so the children are going to have to cross that very busy intersection” she said, pointing out that the Marston Street sidewalk did not connect to the School Street sidewalk in the drawing. She later urged the selectmen to spend the extra $19,000 for the second plan and do the job right.
The proposal calls for Marston Street retaining a 12-foot travel lane with a 5-foot sidewalk and 8-foot parking buffer.
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