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NEW CANAAN, Conn. Families living along Main Street may help pay for sidewalks on the southern end of Main Street.
Mary Flaherty-Lovy, a sidewalk proponent who lives on Main Street, says she knows of two families who would offer to help pay some of the costs of installing sidewalks on the west side of the street. She did not identify the families when contacted Thursday and would not say how much theyd be willing to contribute.
Theyll see what the town wants to do and can do, Flaherty-Lovy said. No one wants to be taken advantage of.
The Town Council voted Wednesday to have the public works department seek bids for sidewalk installations on the east and west sides of the road. Initial cost estimates showed that it would cost about $100,000 more to build the sidewalks on the west side of the road. Drawings from town contractor Cabezas & DeAngelis of Bridgeport say eight walls would have to be built for a west side project between Oak Street and Farm Road, whereas only four are needed for the eastern side of the street.
Flaherty-Lovy and other neighbors want the project on the street's west side to complete a loop allowing pedestrians to walk safely to three New Canaan schools, the New Canaan Library and the weekly Farmers' Market at the Center School parking lot off South Avenue. She said west side construction would also spare major trees along Main Street.
Town Council Chairman Mark DeWaele said the town has had public-private partnerships in the past, including with the lodges at Mead and Waveny parks and James Dunning Field at New Canaan High School. DeWaele said he was heartened to hear that people are interested in the sidewalk project and that the council would make an independent decision based on safety and costs.
Should New Canaan accept contributions from residents to install sidewalks on Main Street? Get the conversation started by leaving a comment below. You can also talk about it on our Facebook page.
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