Church Road Sidewalk Project - Public Hearing October 2nd!
We're highlighting some information provided previously and inviting anyone with an interest in the Church Rd. Sidewalk Project, bicycle and pedestrian safety, and economic development opportunities in Readfield to attend the upcoming Public Hearing at the Town office on Monday, October 2 at 6:30pm! Here's the primary Revised Concept Plan that we will be reviewing and discussing.
The process of considering a sidewalk on Church Road has been ongoing for several years, beginning with resident concerns about the safety of children (and adults) walking and biking on Church Rd. to access the Fairgrounds property and adjacent school property. Initial voter approval for the idea happened in 2017, with periodic funding requests approved at Town Meeting since then. Thanks to a Federal grant and Maine DOT support, the project is slated for an 80/20 match, with the Town paying the 20% share. Public involvement is ongoing and will continue to be a focus of the Design and Planning phase of the project. In addition to the recent and upcoming Public Hearings, this project is discussed multiple times per year during the annual Budget Process and Capital Planning meetings. We expect to consider a final project proposal in June of 2024.
Major Project Phases and Milestones | Status | Date(s) |
Initial Voter Approval For Sidewalk Project Grant Application | Completed | June 13, 2017 |
Sidewalk Project Grant Application | Completed | August 15, 2017 (initial) |
Sidewalk Project Grant Approval | Completed | January 26, 2021 |
Sidewalk Project Design and Planning | Ongoing | 2023-2024 |
Sidewalk Project Voter Consideration (final plan and costs) | Tentative | June 2024 |
Project Construction (if approved) | Tentative | Slated for 2024-2025 |
CHURCH ROAD SIDEWALK GRANT INFORMATION:
CHURCH ROAD SIDEWALK DESIGN AND PLANNING INFORMATION:
- Revised Church Rd. Sidewalk Plan - Option 1 (August 2, 2023) and Revised Church Rd. Sidewalk Plan - Option 2 (September 8, 2023) - These are revised plans that were developed following feedback at the public Hearing on May 8th, review by the Town's Road Committee, written public comment, a follow-up site visit by Town Staff and Gorrill-Palmer Engineers, consideration of other community needs, and discussion with a number of residents on Church Rd. Both options reflect a hybrid approach to the sidewalk but have slightly different alignments. Key considerations in developing these revised plans included:
- Maximizing sight lines and pedestrian safety at crosswalks
- Avoiding neighbor impacts where possible and keeping the project within the Town Right-of-Way
- Providing on-street parking to address needs on Main Street and Church Rd.
- Church Rd. Sidewalk Color Concept Plans from the May 8th Public Hearing (received May 11, 2023) - These are color versions of the original concept plans (below) but are not the current plans.
- Proposed Church Road Sidewalk Public Hearing / Stakeholder Meeting Letter (May 1, 2023)
- Church Rd. Sidewalk Concept Plans - DRAFT ONLY (Updated mid-April, 2023) - These concept plans were developed as an essential starting point for discussing a complicated and important community project. The plans show residents who don't live on Church Rd. what the road looks like in detail, and show everyone what a sidewalk could look like on both sides of the road. This is important because any other plan would have given the perception of a pre-determined outcome, and not having a plan would have resulted in an uninformed discussion. These plans are considered "10% plans" and show a basic project sketch over a detailed base map showing the road, homes,driveways, trees, and other essential features needed for all future project planning.
- Church Rd Sidewalk Alignment Pros and Cons (Updated March 30, 2023)
PUBLIC HEARING INFORMATION:
Gorrill-Palmer will hold a follow-up Public Hearing to discuss revised project plans (above) at 6:30pm on October 2, 2023. ZOOM meeting participation is available if you can’t be there in person by using the following credentials - Meeting ID: 881 4960 8367 and Passcode: 781405 or by calling (929) 436-2866. We will send out a meeting reminder as this date gets closer.
A previous Public Hearing was held at 6:00pm on May 8, 2023, where residents on Church Road were invited to give their comments and concerns along with other members of the public.
Additional public hearings will be held, and there will be more opportunities for public input from all residents. To stay informed on this issue keep an eye out for future updates and visit the Church Road Sidewalk Project page on the Town website.