OLD LYME —LymeLine reader William Folland raised the need for some clarifications on the project status update we posted Saturday from the Halls Rd. Improvement Committee (HRIC).
Halls Rd. Improvement Committee Chair Edie Twining has now responded to Folland’s requests for clarification.
We felt it would be helpful to our readers to post both comments ‘side by side,’ though we urge readers to read the comments as posted against the article because, in this article, we have extracted from Twining’s full comment.
Folland said:
“The grants (LOTCIP and TA) that the town has submitted to fund this project is for construction costs only, the town will most likely be required to fund design costs.
The preliminary design cost, for infrastructure upgrades (sidewalks plus) on Halls road is appox. $624,000
Despite knowing funding the need to keep this project ongoing no town funds were provided in the towns 2024/2024 budget for this project.
To date town approved funds have been spent on the bridge design, no town approved funds have been spent on sidewalks.
The bridge design is incomplete with design requirement flaws, in addition a fishing pier and floating dock must be included in the plan. This will add sugnificiant cost to the project, a cost that most likely will be required to be funded by the town.
Back to funding: The grants (LOTCIP and TA) that the town has applied for will require a 20% match for cost of construction further driving up the towns funding obligation.
In closing: The issues that i have mentioned above represent only a fraction of problems yet to be resolved. The project would benifit greatly with the addition of a professional town planner to guide the HRIC.”
Twining responded:
“Some of the wording in your clarification could be misleading.
1. The $624,000 is not an estimate for preliminary design costs (as your wording implies), but the best current estimate of the total cost to accomplish all the remaining design work needed to bid and build “Complete Streets” (sidewalks, lighting, etc.). The grants applied for to date were construction grants, and expressly excluded funding for design. Our grants team continues to seek funding for the design portions of the project.
2. To date the town has spent none of its own revenue on the Bridge and Trails Design Project, as that work has been completely funded by two grants and managed entirely by volunteers. The DEEP’s request for a fishing pier and parking spaces in return for giving Old Lyme the DEEP’s property on the east bank of the river was not anticipated, and was not in the original funding. There have been no flaws in the design requirements, but rather delays in proceeding with this added design cost for the water access. This added work is under negotiation with the assistance of the town’s Harbor Management Commission.
3. The grants applied for all have different requirements, some need 20% matches, some only fund construction, some only fund planning etc. Some of the grant programs that require matching funds allow other grants to cover the 20% match. Some consider funds already spent by the town to be eligible as part of those matches. We are fortunate to have a committee member with grant experience, as you know.
4. The Halls Road Master Plan, as you learned in the past four months, has multiple pieces to the puzzle. Funding from the town is currently committed to the Senior Center and School Facility renovations. Those are big projects that will eventually be completed. And, yes, efforts on the scale of Halls Road and these current projects could benefit from a part-time Town Planner.
5. The safe passage of our school children and the entire Old Lyme community to and from our commercial center will continue to be an issue until funding is possible for the Halls Road Master Plan through the town and outside sources. We believe the need to support the businesses in our commercial center and to connect them to the rest of town is a nonpartisan goal that will significantly benefit our town and its future.
In closing, what you refer to as problems we see as challenges. Problems are easy to identify (or imagine). Solutions are what we need, and that is where our work is. It was good to have your help with that.”
I welcome Chairperson Twining’s response but the facts contradict her understanding of the status of the Halls Road Improvement Project.
Hats off to Olwen Logan for her willingness to publish this discussion outside of LymeLine’s normal rules for online comments.
The following is my response to Chairperson Twining’s comments:
1. The $624,000 estimate was supplied by BSC Engineering, the firm the town hired to develop the Master Plan.
State officials at RiverCOG (Council of Government) have informed the town that no funds for design or construction will be available until 2027 or beyond for the LOTCIP (Local Transportation Capital Improvement Plan) or TA (Transportation Alternative) grants.
2. The town has spent/allocated approximately $135,000 on the design of the bridge. These funds were town funds awarded through the American Rescue Plan.
According to Mike Barnes, a member of Old Lyme’s Harbor Management Commission, the design of the bridge has not received a proper review and or approval from local, state or federal agencies. Members of the Harbor Management Commission have indicated they cannot support the bridge based on its current design and outstanding issues.
3. No disagreement
4. No disagreement.
5. Challenges that have not been resolved over an extensive time period become problems.
The majority of Old Lyme residents want improvements on Halls Road. While I support a plan, I cannot support the current plan that has placed the priority of a bridge over sidewalks. I do not support any plan that does not involve town agencies that have regulatory jurisdiction over the scope of the project. I do not support a plan that cannot provide a preliminary cost estimate to taxpayers.