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Canton Town Board approves bid from Potsdam architect firm for Miner Street Road engineering study

Posted 6/20/19

By ADAM ATKINSON North Country This Week CANTON – The town board has approved a $9,800 bid from Brooks Washburn Architect P.C. of Potsdam for an engineering study of Miner Street Road. The village …

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Canton Town Board approves bid from Potsdam architect firm for Miner Street Road engineering study

Posted

By ADAM ATKINSON
North Country This Week

CANTON – The town board has approved a $9,800 bid from Brooks Washburn Architect P.C. of Potsdam for an engineering study of Miner Street Road. The village board of trustees has agreed to share some of the cost of the study, which will involve some Miner Street Road which sits in the village.

The town recently circulated a request for quotation for a study which will review a 1.2-mile section of the roadway, from inside the village at the Clark Street intersection out to Jingleville Road, and gauge needed infrastructure improvements, notably for pedestrian and non-motorized traffic safety.

The proposed improvements are listed as a priority in the town’s Master Trail Plan.

Miner Street Road features a narrow roadway for cars and vehicles, coupled with what town officials and residents living there deem a significant level of pedestrians, roller bladers, joggers, St. Lawrence University students and athletes, and bikers.

The road also leads to Taylor Park, just outside the village, a popular swimming and recreation destination for families.

According to the RFQ, the normal wear and tear on Miner Street Road along with drainage issues have worn down the roadway and created issues for motorized traffic.

Brooks Washburn is to provide an engineering study that will consider redesign and re-engineering of the road to enhance safety, while taking into consideration private driveway access, width considerations, speed, lane designations and maintenance of residential character.

A couple of responses were received by the town to the RFQ, said Town Councilman Bob Washo at the town board meeting Wednesday, June 12. The $9,800 bid was recommended by the members of the town’s highway and trails committees, said Washo, who is also a highway committee member.

“I think it’s going to be money well spent, and I think that’s shared by all of the committee members,” Washo said. He said that because the project involves both village and town portions of the road that the town could approach the village to work out a cost sharing agreement for the bid.

Washo also said that with St. Lawrence University’s current rehabilitation project on Appleton Arena and the sports complex off Miner Street Road, they may want to get involved in the project as well.

The study will be in two parts, dividing the village section from the town portion of the road, Washo said.

Washo said the $9,800 to pay for the bid was not in the town budget. He recommended the board create a resolution authorizing a budget amendment “to spend the money to do this and get the ball rolling on it.”

He said the engineering work will conclude in December, setting the town up well in time for the next road construction season.

Board members briefly discussed how to fund the bid.

Town accountant John Gray, who attended the meeting, confirmed there was contingency money in the town budget.

“I support moving forward. It’s just a matter of where we fund it,” said Town Supervisor Mary Ann Ashley.

Washo said once the municipality had an idea of what kind of projects are needed on Miner Street Road from the engineering study, the town and village could seek outside funding sources for the projects themselves.

The board approved the bid, and expects to consider a resolution authorizing a budget amendment in the future to fund the study.

The Canton village board passed a resolution at their meeting June 17 to contribute $1,000 to the engineering analysis.

“We had already been looking at that section, from Clark to the bridge,” said Village Mayor Mike Dalton. The mayor said that with the work underway at Appleton, “we may have an opportunity to change some things there.” The mayor said one of the things that could be done is to increase the line of site and lessening the curve in the road near Appleton.