Construction in Hinesburg to extend sidewalks in the village area may finally be moving forward.
Right-of-way concerns have taken longer than expected to solve, but officials are finalizing easements with the last two people whose properties cross spots where the town wants to build the sidewalks, Alex Weinhagen, planning director for Hinesburg, said.
“I’m hopeful that we will be able to put the project out for bids later this year, with construction anticipated in 2023,” Weinhagen said.For years Hinesburg has looked to develop its village area, and officials have made sidewalks a priority in their planning. Town leaders say more sidewalks will foster economic growth, plus promote fitness and alternatives to driving.
The anticipated construction centers on a stretch of Route 116 between the Hinesburg Community School and Friendship Lane. It’s projected to cost more than $293,000, with most of the funds coming from two Vermont Agency of Transportation grants, Weinhagen said.
The grants require a 20 percent local match, which will be covered by the developers of Meadow Mist, a 24-unit housing project under construction nearby. Town officials approved the development on the condition that a sidewalk be built, and local leaders agreed to seek grants to help. Right now, those matching funds total about $59,000, Weinhagen said.
About $63,600 of the total has been spent so far on engineering, right-of-way acquisition, permitting and more, he said.
Last summer’s town plan called for filling in gaps between existing sidewalks in what officials term the “village growth area” — which runs from Champlain Valley Union High School to the north and the community school to the south. More than 4 miles of sidewalks and paths existed there at the time, according to the plan.
In 2014, the town paid for a two-year study to look at gaps to fill and sidewalks to extend. That study identified several spots for construction: a 350-foot gap in a sidewalk on Mechanicsville Road; a stretch between Farmall Drive, Charlotte Road and Route 116; and the part of the state route between the elementary school and Buck Hill Road.
But work has been held up because of the complexity of trying to build on private property.
“It is very common for public projects to need a significant amount of time to acquire the required right-of-ways and easements,” Hinesburg Development Review Board coordinator Mitch Cypes said.
