Boro to pay for brick sidewalks

FAIR HAVEN — The borough will pick up the tab for installing brick sidewalks in front of all residences on Fair Haven Road and Clay Street in the historic district of the town, Borough Administrator Mary Howell said last week.

The decision was made at the Borough Council's June 22 meeting. The council had delayed action on an ordinance at its June 8 meeting that required residents who did not have brick sidewalks to pay for the difference between installing brick rather than cement when roadwork was done on the streets.

Those with brick sidewalks already installed would not have been charged under the disputed ordinance although the brick would have been removed and then reset.

The sidewalk work is being done at the same time that the roads are improved and the grade is changed.

Several residents objected to the extra charge for those with concrete sidewalks, which was estimated to be $11 a linear foot in a letter they received from the town. At the June 8 council meeting, the estimate was raised to $30 a linear foot.

Laura Gasiorowski said the cost for the brick sidewalks would be a burden to some residents, especially those on fixed incomes.

Howell said the cost of putting in brick where concrete exists will be paid by funds that the town saved on the 2009 road program, for which the bid was expected to be $1.2 million but instead was $770,000.

This is the second time in recent years that brick sidewalks have caused a controversy in the town.

Two years ago, several residents attended council meetings to object to the decision to remove the brick sidewalks in the business district and replace them with concrete walks. The council held to its decision and several sections of brick sidewalks were removed when roadwork was done on River Road.

The council also introduced a bond ordinance at the June 22 meeting, Howell said, that would provide $1,217,500 for the purchase of 78 DeNormandie Ave.

The property is on the river, and has been in the William/Robards family since the 1850s.

Howell said the borough intended to use it as a passive park. She said the house, which is vacant, was not in condition to be repaired and would be demolished.