Officials Halt Abandonment Plans

pursue the project sooner rather than later and move the redevelopment of Baltimore Avenue further up the town’s priority list.

“Now is the time to do Baltimore Avenue,” he said, “and I think it should be a very important project.”

Gehrig questioned how the town would pay for the project.

“All of this stuff, and no one has once asked how we are paying for it,” he said. “It’s at least $2.7 million a year in debt service. That’s almost 3 cents on the property tax.”

While he acknowledged that undergrounding utilities along Baltimore Avenue would create a more resilient community in the event of any major storms, Mayor Rick Meehan suggested the project be paused until more discussions could be had on funding opportunities.

“The cost changed the dynamics of this project …,” he said. “Because of that and because there are some unknowns, I think putting it on pause is absolutely the right thing to do. I think it will give us time to answer some of those questions and hopefully be able to move forward at some point.”

City Manager Terry McGean noted that the project ranked lower among staff because of its cost.

“I’m a little more optimistic about trying to get grant funding, but that’s going to take time,” he said.

Buas reiterated his support for the project and presented a motion to not only move the ranking of the Baltimore Avenue project from important to very important, but to continue with the project schedule as outlined. That motion failed with just Buas, DeLuca and Councilman Frank Knight in support.

Ultimately, the council agreed to keep the Baltimore Avenue redevelopment at its current ranking, but to put a pause on the project until funding opportunities could be explored.

McGean, however, questioned what effect that would have on the abandonment process, in which the town would convey the entire strip of right-of-way to the adjacent property owners along Baltimore Avenue.

“I do need to know from council …,” he said. “Right now, we plan on sending letters out for the right-of-way abandonment tomorrow.”

After further discussion, the council voted unanimously to not send right-ofway letters to property owners along Baltimore Avenue.

“My position would be we are not going to abandon unless we’re doing the road,” Buas said. “They are tied together.”

Public Works Director Hal Adkins also recommended the council pause the project, which would allow SHA to pave Baltimore Avenue this fall. The council voted 5-2, with Knight and Buas opposed, to proceed with the state’s paving schedule along the corridor.