Somerset council reviews Dewberry sidewalk plan and ARPA timing as bridge rehab moves to design

Council members spent much of the work session reviewing a Dewberry planning report that breaks sidewalk, curb and accessibility improvements into modular pieces that can be funded and built in phases.

The Dewberry consultant, Kevin, said the proposal follows a “3+3+1” approach that lets the town mix and match work items depending on budget constraints and emphasized the Cumberland–Deal and Essex sidewalk repairs as relatively quick, lower-cost projects. “The Cumberland and Deal sidewalk and the Essex sidewalk are very discreet elements, can be done very quickly, and are relatively lower cost than the other ones,” Kevin said.

Why it matters: the town has about $600,000 in remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026, and council members repeatedly framed the Dewberry scope around that timing. Town Manager EJ told the council, “for ARPA, we have about 600,000 remaining of the ARPA funds, and they have to be spent by in the calendar year 2026.” That deadline shaped members’ support for prioritizing smaller, deliverable pieces of work first.

Key details: Dewberry’s menu includes a complicated intersection fix at Cumberland and Surrey (which may be expensive because of retaining walls), replacement or resetting of curbs and gutters townwide, grading to eliminate hazardous drop-offs, and an ADA ramp replacement program. Dewberry recommended a community design charrette for the longer Cumberland extension because work there could affect residents’ front yards.

Bridge work: on the nearby town bridge, Dewberry’s Anthony said full replacement or a superstructure-only replacement were not feasible at present due to cost and missing substructure records; the firm is preparing a rehabilitation proposal focused on beam-end repairs and decking. Anthony said a revised proposal would be sent to staff “before the end of the month.”

Cost and phasing: Kevin warned that curb-replacement is the largest-ticket item but noted economies of scale if the town bundles streets; smaller sidewalk fixes and ADA ramp checks can be staged individually. For a single deficient speed hump on Dorset, Paul Dorr of the traffic group provided a repair estimate and said the particular hump could cost about $4,000 to fix, while repairing several humps would lower per-unit costs.

What’s next: Council members instructed staff to bring a package for the October council meeting that includes the Cumberland/Deal and Essex elements and to gather more detailed cost proposals and survey work to guide design and bidding. The report and proposed sequence are intended to allow the council to decide which items to move forward under available ARPA funding.

Ending: Dewberry’s proposals return to the council for decision and budget authorization; the bridge rehabilitation proposal is expected to be provided to town staff within weeks for further review.