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Main Street improvement project faces $100K+ shortfall; council debates removing bump-outs to save costs
Summary
Bids for the long-planned Main Street improvement project came in over estimate, leaving an approximate $100,000 shortfall. Staff reported a possible $60,000 saving by eliminating bump-outs; council discussed traffic-calming trade-offs, parking, snowplowing and next steps including seeking a DOT extension on the grant award timeline.
The New Milford mayor and council discussed a funding shortfall for the Main Street improvement project after bids exceeded the borough92s estimate and a required award deadline for a Department of Transportation grant approaches.
The borough administrator told the council the project has a total budget of $595,750, with $70,000 already spent. "We have a current construction estimate of 617 $17,809, and there's an engineering quote for additional design and construction administration of about $68,000," the administrator said, noting the borough is short by about $161,000 as presented at the meeting. The clerk and administrator said the DOT grant award of $470,000 must be used within two years of the award letter (the award letter came in May 2023), and the borough will ask DOT for an extension.
Staff requested direction on whether to modify the project scope to find savings. The borough engineer (Neglia) provided a last-minute cost estimate showing that eliminating the bump-outs on Main Street would reduce the project cost by roughly $60,000. Council members discussed the trade-offs: bump-outs reduce vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian safety but remove potential parking spaces and complicate snow plowing. Some members favored keeping bump-outs for traffic calming and pedestrian safety; others emphasized fiscal limits.
Council members also discussed project elements including resurfacing, ADA ramp redesigns, stamped crosswalks, broken pavers and streetscape beautification. No final decision to proceed with the original scope or a modified scope was recorded; council members discussed potential funding sources and asked staff to pursue available options. The administrator said the engineer would follow up after any resolution to request a DOT extension and that the governing body must decide whether to allocate additional funds or alter the project scope to proceed.
