Tolland Officials Mulling Sidewalk Replacement In Historic Area

TOLLAND, CT —A joint discussion between the Tolland Town Council, the town's Historic District Commission and the Commission on People with Disabilities last week showed that the town is in a delicate situation regarding the sidewalk along the Historic Tolland Green District.

The discussion took place as part of an Oct. 18 public meeting.

Town officials made one thing clear — it is not possible to replace the current sidewalk with "historically accurate materials" while upgrading it to federal standards. Lifting and re-leveling the granite stones may help even the surface but it will not provide an Americans with Disabilities Act compliant surface as a result, officials said.

The discussion thus turned to identifying alternatives that will provide accessibility while maintaining the historical aspect of the sidewalk.

Several options were discussed:

• Construction of a 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk that would run parallel to the current granite walk. The cost estimate is $165,000. Public works officials are not recommending the option and not all properties along the way are owned by the town (both state and private land). Town officials also pointed out the the option would result in two sidewalks needing to be maintained.
• A new stamped and colored 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk that would have the desired historical look. The rough cost estimate is $345,000.
• Re-setting the existing historic sidewalk. The estimated to cost $90,000 and would not be ADA compliant.

Future discussion would be in order. Town officials said that the role the Historic District Commission has an advisory role in the matter but the Town Council would make the final decision.