GREENFIELD — Money to repair a damaged retaining wall and sidewalk on Deerfield Street was finally approved after City Council OK’d $65,250 to pay for the repairs.
City Council approved the funds this week, giving the Department of Public Works the rest of the estimated $85,000 project. But while the money was approved, it could be months before the repairs are completed.
The retaining wall, near Ruggeri Liquor Store on Deerfield Street, was damaged six months ago and has made the sidewalk on top of the wall impassable, City Engineer Nicolas Reitzel III said.
The damage was caused by inadequate drainage, Reitzel said, and was worsened with a leak in the wall.
Reitzel said that while the retaining wall is considered to be “in failure” and needs to be repaired, it has been stabilized and there is no danger to people.
The sidewalk, though, is blocked off with orange safety cones and considered unusable and impassable, he said.
The repairs will include a drainage pipe being put in place to discharge water into the nearby Green River, replacing the wall with precast concrete blocks 8 feet long, 3 feet tall and 4 feet in depth, as well as railings and sidewalks.
Although the money was approved, residents could be waiting until late September or early October for the repairs to begin, said City Communications and Constituent Services Coordinator Lindsay Rowe.
Reitzel said the city must now make the project available to bids from contractors, which could take as long as eight weeks including a two-week review process from the city. Once the work begins, Reitzel estimated that it could take between two weeks and a month to complete.
In addition, the city must come to an agreement with the landowner in the area, also known as a “temporary construction easement,” Reitzel said, allowing work to happen on property. Reitzel said this has been an ongoing negotiation with the landowner.
The $62,250 approved by City Council came from the city’s reserve funds, while the remaining $22,250 needed had come from the Department of Public Works Fiscal Year 2018 surplus budget, Finance Director Elizabeth Braccia said via email.