Town of Greenwich presents preliminary plan for Shore Road sidewalk; one easement expected, homeowners to clear snow

The Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works on an unspecified date presented preliminary designs and community input for a proposed sidewalk on Shore Road between Sound Beach Avenue and South Crossway, saying the work is feasible but will require coordination with homeowners and utility companies and is contingent on funding approval.

DPW lead engineer Ian Brown said the department "believe[s] this project is feasible. Only 1 easement is expected and the homeowners have been responsive thus far," and described a design that favors the northwest side of Shore Road (the Greenwich Cove side) to minimize utility and obstruction conflicts. Brown outlined design details, locations where curbs will be realigned, several private obstructions that would need to be relocated, and tree removals that the tree warden has recommended.

Why it matters: the proposed sidewalks aim to improve pedestrian safety on a heavily used beach-access route in Old Greenwich. Construction and final design depend on homeowner agreements for right-of-entry or a single easement, utility company approvals to reduce double poles, and formal funding authorization from the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET).

Key technical and schedule points: Brown said the town standard is a 5-foot sidewalk, with limited 4-foot sections allowed under PROWAG (Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines) where conflicts exist. "So it will be a granite curb. It is going to be a 5 foot wide sidewalk unless there are certain conflicts that will require us to shrink the curb down," Brown said. He said the sidewalk surface would generally be asphalt except at pedestrian ramps, which will be concrete, and that construction is targeted for late summer to early fall pending funding approval. A staff speaker noted a request to the BET and a public hearing on the funding pending later in the week; the project cannot proceed to construction until that funding is approved.

Property impacts and easements: Brown identified one location—at 165 Shore Road—where a small section of private property would be needed to route the sidewalk around two utility poles and a fire hydrant; he said the DPW has contacted the homeowners there to discuss terms. Brown also identified multiple private hedges, stone walls, mailboxes and sprinkler systems that either sit in the town right-of-way or encroach on it and would need removal or relocation; he told residents sprinkler systems left in the right-of-way "will be ripped out" if not moved before construction and that relocation costs are the homeowners' responsibility.

Trees and vegetation: Brown said he walked the route with Tree Warden Gregory Kramer and that some trees flagged as dead or infected would be removed. In front of 191 Shore Road, he said two trees infected with "scale" would be removed and replaced after construction; at other properties, younger trees could be relocated a few feet back to preserve them.

Utilities and poles: Brown and DPW staff emphasized coordination with multiple utility owners. Staff said Frontier owns most poles in the project area, and that some locations show double poles where multiple companies have not finished transferring lines. Emergency Management Director Joe LaSella has assisted DPW in conversations to eliminate double poles. Brown said the department is seeking to have double poles removed where possible but noted moving poles across the street or undertaking large relocations can be a long, multi-year process.

Crosswalks, turning movement and traffic: The presentation includes planned crosswalks at side-road intersections and curb changes to improve turning movements. Brown said the team ran vehicle-turning simulations and recommended in-person turning-movement tests (temporary curb markings and cones) for the most constrained intersections, such as Northorn (Northorn/North Crossway) and the curve near the Driftway. Staff said they will try to preserve existing roadway width where possible and that the narrowest studied roadway width remains roughly 22.5–24.8 feet in constrained locations; Brown said the DPW aims to keep lane widths at about 10.5 feet where feasible.

Public concerns and DPW responses: Residents voiced safety and enforcement concerns. Eileen Grasso, a Shore Road resident, said: "I think this sidewalk is a great idea, for the safety of pedestrians," while also urging that bicycle traffic and small nonautomotive vehicles be considered and that poles and roadway width be addressed. Vin DeMarco, co-chair of the Active Transportation Task Force, asked whether the sidewalk would be 5 feet and about materials; Brown confirmed the 5-foot standard and that sidewalks will generally be asphalt to better accommodate tree roots and reduce trip hazards from concrete flagging. Bob D'Angelo, a member of the transportation task force, urged a bevel cut to the granite curb to reduce risk to bicyclists and pedestrians if struck: "I would highly ask that you really consider making that a bevel cut just to give somebody a chance when they get squeezed off the road."

Snow removal and homeowner liability: Multiple residents raised concerns about winter maintenance. Brown said the town's ordinance places snow- and ice-removal responsibility on homeowners adjacent to sidewalks and confirmed that homeowners would be required to clear any new sidewalks in front of their properties. "So that is true. The, town ordinances state that, if should a sidewalk be installed outside of your property, you become liable for the clearing of snow," Brown said. DPW staff said the typical removal window discussed in the meeting is 18 hours after a storm ends.

Funding and next steps: DPW said the slides and plans will be posted on the Town of Greenwich project page and encouraged residents to send comments to the project email. Staff noted the project is contingent on BET funding approval; if funding is approved, DPW expects to start construction in the late summer to early fall season and to work through fall and resume in spring as needed.

What remains unresolved: exact easement terms at 165 Shore Road and at least one other property, the timeline for utility pole removals, whether any roadway narrowing or additional speed-limit reductions will be approved by Connecticut DOT's Office of Traffic Safety (OSTA), and final crosswalk/curb choices at constrained intersections. DPW said it will continue homeowner outreach, utility coordination, and in-person traffic tests to refine the design.

Ending: The DPW presentation materials will be posted to the Town of Greenwich DPW project web page; staff asked residents to submit feedback by email to the project contact listed on that page.