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Church Road Sidewalk - Public Hearing

Feb. 20, 6:30pm, Town Office
Posted on: February 8, 2024 - 1:43pm
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety

The Town of Readfield is holding a formal Public Hearing on Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at 6:30pm at the Town Office to discuss the proposed Church Road Sidewalk we have been working on for several years beginning with resident concerns about the safety of children (and adults) walking and biking on Church Road to access the Fairgrounds property and adjacent school property.  Initial voter approval for the project happened in 2017, with periodic funding requests approved at Town Meetings since then.  Thanks to a Federal grant and Maine DOT support, the project will receive an 80% match, with the Town contributing 20%. 

We have solicited feedback from Church Road residents and held two prior Public Hearings to date, and modified the sidewalk design in response to them.  The current design includes a raised sidewalk, crosswalks, speed tables, drainage improvements, and on-street parking that will both help support access to local businesses and slow down traffic.  The current budget anticipates a total cost of approximately $1,200,000 with 80% of that cost being covered by Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Grant funds.  The remaining 20% share is currently budgeted to come from reserves that we have saved or appropriated while we developed the project.  This means that we will not see any new tax impact for the construction of the project.  We will of course have ongoing maintenance costs to consider as we do with other public safety infrastructure projects.  Additional public hearings will be held as part of the budget and warrant process and the final project will be considered on the regular Town Meeting Warrant in June.

Please take a moment to review the 50% Design Plan and Color Concept Plan that we will be discussing.  Additional information can be found on the Church Road Sidewalk Page.  Public comment can be submitted at any time in writing, via email, and online HERE.  If you cannot attend the Public Hearing  in person consider participating via ZOOM using Meeting ID: 881 4960 8367 and Passcode: 781405.