By Gail Geraghty
Staff Writer
Gone are the fancy Thermoplastic crosswalks, to be replaced by simple paint. Gone, too, are the benches and trash bins, and the fancy improvements around the flagpole.
The Depot Street Streetscape project has been scaled back by nearly $100,000 — but it’s hoped that many of the design extras can be done at a future date.
Bridgton Selectmen voted Oct. 14 to award the bid to Pratt Construction for $333,608, which finally puts the cost in line with the spending approved by voters at Town Meeting. Pratt’s original contract bid price was $426,513, but the contractors negotiated with town officials on a list of reductions to make the project affordable for the town.
Initial prep work should begin soon, Dustin Roma, lead project engineer for Milone & MacBroom, told the board.
Roma and Bridgton Director of Planning, Economic and Community Development Anne Krieg outlined the list of project reductions as follows:
• Eliminate all sidewalk and curbing improvements between Main Street and the first entrance to the municipal parking lot — $18,200. This work would be done in the next fiscal year by the town’s Public Works Department.
• Eliminate the proposed pump station building and leave the fenced enclosure near the Elegance building — $7,000.
• Replace the proposed Thermoplastic pavement markings with paint — $18,000. This will make the pavement markings look the same as with all other crosswalks in downtown.
• Do not install the benches, trash receptacles or the concrete pads for the furniture — $11,000. This work could be completed as a separate project under future Community Development Block Grant funding, TIF funding or another source, Krieg said.
• Leave the existing flagpole and base in its current condition — $10,000. The concrete wall around the flagpole would be replaced with circular granite curbing, however. A new flagpole could be a fundraising project by the Bridgton Community Center, Krieg said.
• Reduce the materials testing allowance down to $1,000 — $2,000.
• Remove the surface pavement line item from the project (9.5 mm hot mix asphalt) — $25,625. This work would be completed by the Public Works Department through their paving contract and funded in the next fiscal year in the road budget.
• Remove the pavement markings line item from the contract price — $1,080. The Public Works Department would contract this work directly after finish paving is completed.
Krieg said the town would be looking to raise funds privately for such items as benches and the flagpole area. She said it is “imperative” that CDBG funds be spent this fall, and that Public Works Director Jim Kidder has agreed to complete the top coat of the pavement as well as the sidewalk work.
“This option allows us to complete a base project between this fall and next spring that will be usable and aesthetically-pleasing in time for the Fourth of July festivities,” Krieg said. Although the project revisions will require additional funding next year from public works, those costs will be greatly reduced by having the work done in-house.