Board awards more than $50K to ‘Bums Alley’ beautification By Gordon Dritschilo Staff Writer | September 18,2013 Email Article Print Article Photo by Chelsea Wright The alley at the end of Baxter Street is going to be cleaned up to make for a better pathway for foot travelers walking from Baxter Street to West Street in Rutland. “Bums Alley” has been added to the city’s list of renewal projects. The Board of Aldermen voted Monday to draw up to $52,782 from the Zamias fund for improvements to the pathway from Baxter Street to West Street, a spur off the dead end of Baxter. Backers of the project are making an effort to replace its derogatory unofficial name with “Baxter Street Alley.” Vermont Farmers Food Center president Greg Cox brought the proposal to the board after the organization began cleaning up the walkway, which runs along the organization’s West Street property. He intends to put in a wall, crushed gravel and, eventually, lighting. The Zamias fund was established using impact fees paid to the city by the owners of the Diamond Run Mall and is used to pay for improvements downtown. The proposal cleared the Community and Economic Development Committee unanimously last week. Monday, Alderman Jon Kiernan said he had been silent during that meeting, but was prepared to support the proposal with one modification. “I approve of the idea but I don’t approve of the amount,” he said. “We keep talking about leveraging. If we’re going to use the Zamias fund, let’s use it to leverage. Let’s not give them everything they want. Let’s use it as an incentive to go out and get more help.” Kiernan also said he had taken a walk along the path that day and noted new growth there that made him think the VFFC was incapable of maintaining what they have at the property. Some other board members bristled at that suggestion, asking if Kiernan had seen how bad a shape the property was in before the VFFC took it over. Alderman Christopher Siliski said the path wasn’t even the VFFC’s property and that they cleared it out of “the kindness of their hearts.” Alderwoman Sharon Davis said the notion of leveraging was discussed at the committee level and that she felt the VFFC has already leveraged “pretty much everything.” She also said that the organization already has requests out to other groups which, if successful, would reduce the amount being contributed by the city. VFFC had also raised roughly $12,000 worth of in-kind pledges for the project. Siliski said some of those pledges took the form of material supplies like gravel and were essentially as good as cash contributions. Siliski also said the city’s contribution would free up money the VFFC would use to fund other projects benefitting the community. “I’ve never seen such a rallying point in Rutland ... outside of, potentially, Pine Hill Park,” he said. “Greg Cox has come through with every decision he has put forth in the community.” In the end, Kiernan cast the sole dissenting vote. gordon.dritschilo@rutlandherald
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 16:47:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015