The Skaneateles Town Board will open bidding on the Western Gateway Improvement Project in early March, in hopes the longstanding project will finally come to fruition.
The project to improve and beautify the western Route 20 approach to the town has been in the works for more than a decade. The town board previously solicited project bids in August 2011, in hopes of completing the project by November 2011. No contractors sought the work, citing too short a window for construction time and too many other pending projects that were more lucrative.
“Hopefully, we’ll get a better response and a better turnout and it will actually get done this year,” said Town Supervisor Terri Roney after the town board voted to approve the March bid opening.
Bidding will open at 3 p.m on Friday, March 2, and the board will award the contract at its March 15 meeting.
The board then hopes contractors will have “substantially completed” the project by May 25, with full completion by June 22.
The project includes new landscaping, curbs and welcome signs into the town and village.
Also at the meeting:
―The board approved the expenditure of $1,350 to tape and layout two pickleball courts within the existing basketball courts in Austin Park. The courts are used by the Skaneateles Pickleball Club throughout the summer. The new pickleball lines will not hamper or obscure the existing basketball court lines.
The work will be done by Nagle Athletic Surfaces of Liverpool, the company that resurfaced the Austin Park tennis courts last year.
―The board unanimously approved a request from the Skaneateles Rotary Club to allow the organization to use the Austin Park Pavilion from June 14 to 17 to hold its Father’s Day pancake breakfast. The board also agreed to exempt the Rotary Club from the usage fees of $650 per day.
―The board renewed its yearly contract with the Finger Lakes SPCA, in which the town pays $1,600 for the year to contribute to maintenance and fees for the animals taken in by the shelter.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Skaneateles Press. He can be reached at [email protected].
