Whenever I'm waiting for the light at the corner of Green Street and Fairview Avenue, I wonder when we are going to get our new intersection, with its promised safety and aesthetic enhancements. It will be remembered that the City got $200,000 from Stewart's Shops, as part of a host community benefit agreement, in exchange for amending the city's zoning to allow Stewart's, which was a nonconforming use, to expand into two adjacent lots and build a big, new gas station and convenience store. The new store opened in January 2020, the landscaping that was part of the proposed project was completed in July 2020, but nearly a year later, the intersection remains unchanged.
- Traffic island with landscaping
- Curb ramps with detectable warning
- Conduit run, Pull boxes
- Pedestrian pole with pushbuttons
- High visibility crosswalks
Peter Bujanow, commissioner of public works, is overseeing the project for the City, and there hasn't been a lot of information forthcoming about its progress or what the final design will look like. There has been, however, some evidence that work is moving forward. At the April meeting of the Common Council on Tuesday, one of the bills the aldermen agreed to pay was $4,976 to Creighton Manning for "Stewart's Intersection."
When the host community benefit agreement was reached with Stewart's, it was believed that the redesigning the intersection would cost between $135,000 and $140,000, leaving $60,000 to $65,000 available to fund redoing the City's zoning code and updating the comprehensive plan. Given the recent experience with the proposed changes to the entrance to Promenade Hill, it seems likely that the estimates for the "Stewart's intersection," made two years ago, are woefully inadequate, and the entire $200,000 may not be enough to pay for the sought after enhancements to the intersection, never mind updating the comprehensive plan or the zoning.
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Just another tactic used by the powers that be ." THIS GUESSTIMATE IS ONLY GOOD FOR 30 DAYS"
ReplyDeleteWhy is the City so slow in moving to complete these grants. I believe there was also a grant for Upper Union Street of $250K or thereabouts, to fix the storm water and sewer problems. That was several years ago more than two I would say. I wonder what has happened to that grant?
ReplyDeleteAre you thinking about the tree planters? https://gossipsofrivertown.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-smallest-trees.html That project was completed in 2019, but then the trees had to be replanted last year, I think, because they had initially been planted incorrectly--something done not by DPW but an outside contractor.
DeleteNo, I think it was a different grant. I'm aware of the tree project. This was for Upper Union, 7th and up to Worth.
DeleteWhich is to say that to Gossips alone it seems “LIKELY” that the estimates were “WOEFULLY INADEQUATE” based on one person’s unscientific comparison with an unrelated project from an unrelated and poorly run program.
ReplyDeleteThis is little more than a wishful hunch supported by colorful adjectives and adverbs.
What a disaster that has turned out to be Gaping holes in iron gates. Wrong trees were planted first. I also believe that the incorrect soil was used to drain the water... ugly work.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. The original trees planted were very sad - too small. Poorly planned. But nice idea if it worked.
DeleteYes, unheimlich, I agree. I tried to post a comment the other day, because I was confused about the language "Stewart's Corner". I asked in that post if Stewart's owned the intersection at Green Street and Fairview Avenue, but apparently I didn't push the right button, because the comment never appeared. Maybe I asked the wrong question.
ReplyDeleteLinguistics gymnastics, it seems.
Susan