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Rosemont project to go forward
Selectmen never knew of 5-phase study
GOFFSTOWN - On Monday night, selectmen voted 5-0 to go forward with the Rosemont drainage project after
learning that a study conducted in October of 2004 showed the project could be done in five separate
phases. Click
here to read that study.
DPW Director Carl Quiram had originally estimated the cost of the project at $600,000, monies that were originally
to have been approved by voters but were later taken directly from the town's Road Plan budget.
But on July 23rd, Quiram told selectmen the cost had gone up to
nearly $900,000. When asked why the original estimate had been
so inaccurate, Quiram's stated that he had not
shown his plan to the city of Manchester (which will be involved in the project) prior to
putting together his
estimate, and that after he did, Manchester pointed out numerous issues (gas lines, water lines, existing
sewer composition, required digging depth, and more) that suddenly would add $300,000 to the cost of the
project.
Stunned, selectmen then asked if the project might be done in phases rather than all at once. Quiram
responded yes, and then referred to a 2004 study that outlines a 5-phase plan for the project.
Although both Quiram and selectmen Phil D'Avanza knew of the
existence of that study, neither had ever mentioned it to the rest of the board.
Rather, it was after Quiram was asked about the
possibility of a multi-phase approach to the project that he made
reference to the study.
Selectmen did not receive that study until last week.
The study, conducted by McFarland-Johnson, Inc. of Concord, N.H., recommends a 5-phase
approach to the project, as follows:
Phase 1 - $307,000
Phase 2 - $162,000
Phase 3 - $ 75,000
Phase 4 - $ 53,000
Phase 5 - $203,000
The study also "highly recommends" phases 1 and 3 as
priority portions of the study, as those two phases
"...would alleviate the majority of the primary
stormwater ponding near the Rosemont/Mast Road intersection and the properties adjacent to the
wetland." The study further
recommends that Phase 2 be constructed after Phases 1 and 3.
During Monday's discussion, some selectmen were visibly upset as to why the study had never been presented, or
even mentioned, to them until July 23rd. "I have seen this project
(over two years) through both CIP and the budget
committee, and this is the first time that I ever knew that this project had phases to it.
There was
always a $600,000 price tag, and I never knew that it could have been broken into pieces," said selectman
Scott Gross.
Selectmen subsequently approved the completion of phases 1 and 3 this year,
with the understanding that phase 2 would be completed next year.
The project will be put out to bid shortly.
RELATED
INFORMATION
• Why
did DPW (and D'Avanza) keep selectmen in the dark?
•
2004
Rosemont Area Drainage Study
•
Selectmen
reel in DPW
•
Selectmen
again question DPW spending
•
Last
round of construction proceeds in Grasmere
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