BRISTOL — Roads and sidewalks were on the minds of Bristol selectboard members at their Monday meeting. It was the first time they had gathered since their April 28 road tour, the purpose of which was to acquire information about the state of town infrastructure, according to Town Administrator Bill Bryant.
On this year’s tour selectboard members, Bryant and other municipal officials inspected the refurbished police offices on South Street, various sidewalks and streets, and a leaky roof in the town’s new salt shed. They met with the tree warden to discuss plans for recreation areas. And they looked at the “Stoplight Bridge” on Route 116 South to ponder what a replacement bridge proposed by state transportation officials might look like — it would stand 18 feet taller than the current span.
The first action item as a result of this tour was the board’s decision to repave sidewalks and parts of two streets: Fitch Avenue and Airport Drive.
Selectboard members accepted a bid from Case Street Redi-Mix of Middlebury for $32 per linear foot for a four-foot-wide sidewalk and $34 per linear foot for a five-foot-wide sidewalk. The exact stretches of sidewalk to be replaced have yet to be determined, but Bryant said that North Street near the library would likely get repaved.
“We have a budget of $15,000, so we’ll probably replace somewhere between 400-500 feet of sidewalk,” Bryant said.
Pike Industries of Barre won a $32,000 bid to repave Fitch Avenue and Airport Drive with a half-inch shim and a one-and-a-half-inch overlay of asphalt. Since these are not state roads, their maintenance will be paid in full by the town.
Selectboard members also got a look into the future of local infrastructure from Mount Abe Union Middle School eighth-grader Chris Carter, who brought in a three-dimensional model of the prospective South Street Bridge. According to Bryant, Carter worked with him and the project engineer to construct a three-dimensional model of the project for people who had problems reading two-dimensional plans.
Also at the meeting:
•  Nina Badger and David Bannister submitted an application for a liquor license to operate a bar in the Main Street location that formerly housed Dan’s Place.
Their application was approved and is waiting for approval from the state Department of Liquor Control.
According to Bryant, the future bar is permitted to operate seven days a week, and they can have karaoke or comedy on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and live music only on Fridays and Saturdays for as long as two hours from 7-10 p.m.
“We’re happy to see the space put back into use and we wish them the best,” said Bryant.
•  Tori Prouty of the Bristol Recreation Club proposed a half-marathon in town for Labor Day weekend.
The plan is to have runners meet at the recreation club property, bus runners up to Lincoln, and then have them run from Lincoln down into Rocky Dale, through the village and back to the start.
“Tori is expecting somewhere between 200 or 300 participants,” said Bryant. “The selectboard is excited about the half-marathon event, we’re just trying to coordinate the dates.”
Bryant indicated that the event might be scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 4.
•  Director of the Hub teen center Jim Lockridge presented seven different grant applications to the selectboard. The board’s policy is to review applications before submission.
“The Hub has always operated on a steady stream of grant income,” said Bryant. “These were a fairly typical group from very small grants to a $20,000 grant to help pay for labor.”
Bristol residents should note that on Monday, May 23, Holley Hall will open up its doors to the annual Police District meeting, a meeting with the water commissioner and sewer commissioner, and a local concerns meeting about a pedestrian traffic study funded by the Addison County Regional Planning Commission.
Reporter Andrew Stein is at [email protected].