Somers Moving Forward with Sidewalks Plans
The Somers Town Board is moving forward with the initial phases of plans to install new sidewalks.
The board is scheduled to approve the spending of $5,000 for engineering and landscaping architectural services when it meets on December 11. Following the December 4 work session, Supervisor Rick Morrissey said the firm that will be employed by the town has not been finalized.
Morrissey said the town will not be responsible for the entire $5,000 cost of the services. Half of the cost will be paid for through a state grant and the town may qualify for the remaining $2.500 from the East Coast Greenway, Councilman Richard Clinchy said after last week’s meeting.
As stated on its Web site, the Greenway is a non-profit alliance that “promotes the vision for connecting local trails into a continuous route, provides strategic assistance for states, counties, and municipalities that build local trail sections, officially designates trails as part of the ECG trail system, posts signage, and makes maps and guides to facilitate use of the Greenway.”
The sidewalk project is being spearheaded by the Somers Energy Environment Committee, chaired by Michael Blum. The committee has been working with the national Complete Streets program. The town is part of the program, which consists of 27 states and the District of Columbia. The committee wants Somers residents to be less dependent on their cars by having the town install new sidewalks and road lanes dedicated to biking.
The ultimate goal of the committee would be to create three miles of sidewalks and bike lanes to connect Reis Park to the Somerstown Shopping Center.
Resident and former town board member Maureen Devine said sidewalks should also be constructed in Somers’ Historic District. Committee member Mike Yee said the town could obtain grants for sidewalks for the whole town and the projects could be done in phases. One potential start of the new sidewalks initiative would be to have sidewalks constructed from Reis Park to Somers High School, Yee said. “We have to take baby steps,” he said.
