Council declines to restore granite for Vernon Ave.

By Journal Inquirer Staff
October 15, 2007

VERNON - Granite curbing will not be part of the Vernon Avenue reconstruction project, Town Council members decided at their Oct. 2 meeting.

The original plan called for granite curbing, but it was cut to bring the project in line with its $2.2 million budget.

At a special meeting last month where angry residents voiced a number of concerns over the project, including the change to black asphalt curbs, council members seemed in favor of reverting to granite.

Council members asked town staff for a cost estimate to put the granite curbing back in the project, and quickly decided not to go ahead with the plan when they learned the cost.

According to Town Administrator Christopher Clark, the council would have to allot $415,000 to pay for the granite curbing - nearly a 20 percent increase in the project cost - from the town's fund balance.

The vote on a motion to schedule a public hearing to allocate those funds was rapidly defeated with little discussion and only Republican Mark Etre voting in favor.