20 July, 2011
The Downtown Initiative Steering Committee (DISC), created by Town Manager Norman Khumalo in September of 2010 to provide advice regarding potentital downtown improvements, provided an updated to the Planning Board last week.
Using the $400,000 approved by Town Meeting in May of 2010, Chairman Tom Nealon said his committee has been working on a plan since last October with the consulting firm Beta Group.
The project covers Main Street from Wood Street to Ash Street and is looking at intersections at Wood Street, Pleasant Street, Route 85 and 135 and Hayden Rowe.
"Where we are now," said Nealon, "is our committee has to take a look at these concepts and we still have some discussions with private property owners as to what their tolerance level could be, and we need to give Beta Group some direction."
According to Nealon, the state is reserving $4 million for the project, but to stay in the pipeline for funding a 25% complete design must be completed and submitted by early fall.
But the $4 million of state money will only go so far. The state will not pay for parking, drainage improvements or for underground utilities which are currently estimated at an additional $8 million dollars.
"It's a lot more money than just spending the state's money if we're going to do it right," said Planning Board Chairman Weismantel. "And in order to do that, we're going to have to come together as a community and dig into our wallets and that doesn't happen without a lot of discussion."
