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Residents urge brick sidewalk, narrower width for Academy Hill section; board hears parking and historic concerns
Summary
A resident representing Academy Hill homeowners asked the board to keep new sidewalk material brick (to match adjacent sections) and consider a narrower 5-foot path to preserve on-street parking and the historic stone wall.
Frank Collins, chair of the Historic Zoning Commission and president of the Academy Hill condominium homeowners association, urged the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to adopt a brick sidewalk and adjust the planned width for a crumbling section of West Main Street sidewalk in Academy Hill.
Collins said town staff met with residents April 15 and proposed shifting the sidewalk into the road and constructing an 8-foot wide sidewalk. He told the board that the section connects to brick sidewalks on Washington Drive and Second Avenue and said a concrete sidewalk there would be "out of place." Collins asked whether the project could start at a 5-foot width near Washington Drive and gently widen to match existing profiles so parking across the street would be preserved.
He also stressed the importance of protecting the historic stone wall along the route and urged the board to "get this done now and get it done right," noting residents have been awaiting repair since 1989 and that state money is available. Collins suggested that narrowing the sidewalk to 5 feet could save funds that would allow the town to use brick instead of concrete.
Board members acknowledged parking concerns and directed staff and engineers to factor resident comments into final plans. The meeting record does not show the board adopting a specific change to the sidewalk design at this session; Collins' remarks were part of the public comment period and were referred to staff for follow-up.
