Chestertown Town Manager Bill Ingersoll announced last night that David A. Bramble & Company won the bid to complete all phases of the rails trails project at $359,000.
“We opened the bids up [last] Friday at 12:05 PM, and the apparent low bidder was David. A Bramble,” Ingersoll said. “With that being said, there definitely is not the money in the budget for this at that level, but I have already sent this tabulation off to SAFETEA-LU…grant agency…and I’ve asked them [to find more funding for us].”
Phase One and Two of the asphalt cost came to $259,000. Signs, furniture and landscaping for both phases came in at $75,000. The mobilization cost for both phases was $24,500, and is the cost of bringing equipment and material to the site.
Ingersoll pointed out that with limited funds the first phases of the asphalt and the mobilization could begin now.
“You could isolate [asphalt] with the mobilization and actually do a part of it now and a part later,” Ingersoll said.
Four bids were submitted with the next lowest bid offered by George & Lynch Inc., at $382,000.
Bobby says
This project will be great for Chestertown. I lived one house away from the Easton Rails to Trails and used it on a daily basis. It was great for walking the dogs, running and riding bikes.
bill_harrow says
hope the town will supply rape whistles..i have a feeling that the dark trail system will be a nice safe corridor for criminal activity under the cover of darkness
StellaL says
The whole community will be enhanced with Rail to trails…the one in Easton is fantastic! This is money well spent.
MD Eastern Shore says
The reporter has missed an opportunity here to explain who “SAFETEA-LU” is and why this mysterious entity will be able to find money for this trail when the town cannot. Do tell!
Geobart says
@MD Eastern Shore – “The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (Public Law 109-59; SAFETEA-LU) is a funding and authorization bill that governs United States federal surface transportation spending. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on August 10, 2005, and expired as of September 30, 2009. Congress is expected to begin working on a replacement bill for the next six-year period during its 2009 session.” – Wikipedia (after typing the term into Google).
Born and Raised Here says
I guess if Chestertown wasn’t out buying marinas, they might have had enough money to finish the project. But then again, once it is finished the town will just sell it to the college. Maybe instead of wasting to towns money trying to find funding they should just let the college pay for it.
Back to the Future says
Another project that only benefits the upper crust of Chestertown, not the masses.
Keith Thompson says
@Born and Raised Here…
Big picture. The purpose of the marina purchase is to give the town control of the riverfront as a spur for an economic development around the riverfront. It’s an economic infrastructure investment. Rails To Trails is a part of the riverfront development program and, on a smaller scale, is also an economic infrastructure investment. If done correctly, the large scale economic benefit derived from the marina purchase should add the revenue necessary for the town to better afford Rails To Trails.
@Stella,
You say that Easton’s rails to trails is fantastic. Have you considered that all of that development that Easton has allowed in has actually made it possible for them to afford to pay for their fantastic Rails To Trails?
Born and Raised Here says
@ Keith Thompson….
Although the “Big Picture” sounds good, fact is the marina is not an economic power house to begin with. Lets face it, it is too small, out dated, and will be mis-managed. If you put 4 or 5 empty boat trailers down there, you can’t even get around. Most of the boats on shore in “storage”, and if they were a classic car in someones yard, would get harrassed by the town to get rid of them or fined. As far as management is concered, it will be run by the “chosen few” and by the histarical nuts and before you know it, nobody will want to go there because of all of the new rules and regulations that will be put in place. At this point, the town will start losing money and the college will “come to the rescue” like they have done with most all of the towns assets and buy it at a lose. But never fear, they will let the town “use it” as long as the town continues to jump and ask how high on the way up as they currently do now. Bottom line, Chestertown would be an economic boomtown but like the the age of the town, it still has a 300 year old way of thinking. This coupled with the fact that Chestertown has become a Colleges’ town instead of a college town and you end up with what I stated above. Time will tell.
Keith Thompson says
@Born and Raised Here
Your argument seems to be aimed not at the economics of the riverfront itself, but at the ability (or lack thereof) of the town’s leaders to carry out the idea. That’s a separate issue as far as I’m concerned as the town’s political leaders will likely center around the success or the failure of the purchase. I’ve said that the marina purchase is the easy part. Making it successful is the hard part and making it work will require a culture shift in the town. However, losing public access to the waterfront also changes the culture of the town so either way the town’s status quo can’t be maintained. If you remove the status quo as an option, I’d favor a pro-active approach of trying to intitiate an economic development plan rather than letting events dictate what the town does.
Keith Thompson says
correction…”as the future of the town’s political leaders will likely center around the success or the failure of the purchase”
MD Eastern Shore says
@Geobart: eesh, Google does it again. Is there anything they don’t know?
@Keith: Keep singing that vision thing song. Whether I agree or not, you’re keeping your eye on the ball. I’m still of the opinion that running a small, space constrained marina as a business is a difficult proposition in the best of times never mind when gas is over $4 at the dock. I’m also still of the opinion that running a marina as public-access waterfront is an attempt to serve two masters, and in the end one or the other master shall become profoundly unhappy.