Sidewalk funds nearly in hand
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Now we wait for the state Bond Commission to officially award the town’s $1,579,791 for the renovation of the sidewalks between Grove and South Main streets.
Last week town was notified that the project’s state funding was approved. The Bond Commission meetings are usually held once a month. Should the grant be officially OK’d soon Economic and Community Development Director Mary Ann Chinatti said the town hopes to put the project out to bid in June and award the project in the fall. That would mean starting construction in the spring. She believes it would be a one-construction season project.
The grant comes from the state Department of Economic and Community Development. The town submitted its request in December.
The total cost of the project is $1,610,403. The balance of $30,612 would be the town’s share, surveys and plans. Those were done by the engineer on the NECCOG staff. Towns contribute each year for the regional services.
Plans call for a complete replacement of the sidewalks on seven streets between Grove and South Main streets: Bradley, Center, Chapman, Fremont, King, Pleasant and Seward streets. 
The project will involve removing concrete and bituminous sidewalks. There will be 5-foot wide sidewalks poured with curbs, plus sidewalk ramps, catch basin top replacements, patching driveways, warning strips, topsoil and turf, resetting mail boxes and more.
“This is such a great project,” Chinatti said. “This will greatly enhance foot traffic and address so many issues.”
Sidewalks are dangerously cracked and heaved and there are areas where there are no sidewalks, so safety is an issue. When the roadsides are filled with snow banks, residents end up walking on the street. 
Chinatti said the town debated between this sidewalk project and sidewalks for Pomfret Street. This Grove-South Main project was chosen because “more people will use these sidewalks than Pomfret Street. Pomfret Street is on this list but this took priority.”
These new safe sidewalks connect to the new sidewalks on Grove and South Main. That allows a short safe walk to downtown and the Municipal Complex and everything in between.
The town is also putting together a proposal for sidewalks to extend from South Main down Rt. 44 toward Walmart.
Safety is a priority.
And so is walkability — it builds a healthier, tighter, friendlier community.

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