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Commercial Street repave hits the skids
Banner Daily Update posted Tues. Oct. 23
By Pru Sowers
Banner Staff
PROVINCETOWN – An approved plan to move ahead with repaving Commercial Street seems likely to be scaled back after the department of public works reported encountering stiff resistance from tax-weary residents.
DPW deputy director Sandy Turner met with selectmen Monday along with Russ Kleekamp from Stearns & Wheler, the engineering firm that is developing preliminary designs to repave the 2.5-mile main thoroughfare. Based on meetings last week with the Council on Aging, the Chamber of Commerce and the Provincetown Business Guild, Turner and Kleekamp said the consensus was to reduce the scope of the estimated $7.7 million project to $4.4 million.
“The feedback we got was the town was not looking so much for a total revitalization. The east and west ends might be more suited for a cosmetic [asphalt] overlay. We’re not looking to do such a complete project with landscaping, lighting and Streetscape,” Kleekamp told selectmen.
“We know the appetite for spending is not there,” Turner added.
Mary Jo Avellar, board of selectmen chair, said she had heard numerous complaints from residents in the past two weeks since selectmen approved a recommendation to spend $566,380 for Stearns & Wheler to survey the entire length of Commercial Street and create a final design for the repaving, which, depending on budget restrictions, may have included landscaping, new sidewalks, signage and street art. Voters would have to approve the $566,380 expenditure at special Town Meeting on Nov. 5.
“I was very enthusiastic about this project two weeks ago,” Avellar said. “But what I’m hearing from people is how are we going to lower their taxes? The questions I’m hearing have dampened my enthusiasm for the project. People are really upset about spending this kind of money through a [Proposition 2 ½ budget] override.”
How, or even if, the repaving project will proceed is up in the air. Selectman asked Kleekamp to develop alternative options and engineering cost estimates. However, some selectmen doubted whether a comprehensive proposal could be developed in time for the Nov. 5 special Town Meeting. As a result, approval to move ahead with the engineering and design study could be pushed back until the April Town Meeting.
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Oct 18th, 2007