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Palomino Boulevard reconstruction draws steep opposition from residents; council keeps project in budget but schedules further review
Summary
Residents lined up at council to oppose a draft Palomino Boulevard reconstruction plan that would narrow the roadway and add a permanent gravel/sidewalk footprint; council adopted the town budget that includes funding for Palomino but directed staff to return with alternatives and a fuller public process.
A plan to reconstruct Palomino Boulevard and prepare space for a future sidewalk drew multi‑hour public comment and sustained council discussion after residents and homeowners raised safety, property‑value and aesthetics concerns.
Several homeowners testified that a town proposal to narrow the roadway by about five feet on each side and to place temporary granite or extensions to driveways would harm curb appeal, interfere with custom mailboxes, create long construction disruption and invite erosion or maintenance issues. Steve Baggio, Tony Durante and other Palomino residents asked the council to delay or rework the plan; several asked the council to repave the street without the accompanying sidewalk/granite plan. “This is gonna be an expensive project, and it's gonna change the landscape forever,” one resident said during public comment.
Public works staff explained Palomino’s history and design constraints: the existing right‑of‑way already extends behind the back of curb and the town’s conceptual proposal would pull curb inward as a traffic‑calming measure and to leave room for a future sidewalk should grant money become available. Staff said the work would require removal of failing base, not a simple overlay, and that narrowing the roadway reduces the area of new paving required and thereby lowers total construction cost.
Council members and staff agreed the topic requires more detailed public review. The council adopted the fiscal year 2026 budget at the meeting (see Votes at a glance) with funding included to pursue Palomino reconstruction, but the manager and public works director said they will return with more detailed alternatives, visuals and options at a future meeting (the next public step was said to be agendized for June 17 in staff remarks and follow‑up discussion). Several council members asked staff to present an option that would repave without altering property frontage and to show alternatives and cost comparisons, including full‑depth paver options and different asphalt mixes.
Until the alternatives and a formal design and permitting process are presented, staff said, no excavation of private property would take place and mailboxes and driveway work would require homeowner coordination. Residents requested monthly project updates and earlier notification to seasonal or absentee property owners.
The subject dominated public comment during the budget meeting and council agreed to schedule additional public review before final design work proceeds.
