Council to talk roads, internet on Prudence Saturday

Resident's request for Portsmouth ferry terminal also on the agenda

Jim McGaw
Posted 7/29/16

PORTSMOUTH — An update on a major road repair project along Narragansett Avenue, island internet service and a proposal to build a new ferry terminal in Portsmouth will be among the hot …

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Council to talk roads, internet on Prudence Saturday

Resident's request for Portsmouth ferry terminal also on the agenda

Posted

PORTSMOUTH — An update on a major road repair project along Narragansett Avenue, island internet service and a proposal to build a new ferry terminal in Portsmouth will be among the hot topics at the Town Council’s annual meeting on Prudence Island this Saturday, July 30.

The meeting begins at 11 a.m. at the Union Church. There will also be an open forum for discussion of Prudence-related issues. The full agenda may be found here.

During an island meeting in 2014, the council got an earful from Prudence residents regarding the state of Narragansett Avenue, the 2.6-mile main drag that runs along the island’s east shoreline.

The town agreed to initiate a plan to repave the road, although Department of Public Works (DPW) director Dave Kehew cautioned that any work would have to be done in piecemeal over two or three years because of limited funding. One of the biggest cost factors is bringing equipment over to the island.

On Saturday, islanders will hear an update on the road repair project, which is expected to be completed by mid-November.

According to a July 22 memo from project engineer Jamie Pisano, of the civil engineering company Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., eight contractors attended a “pre-bid meeting” on July 15, and final bids are due to the town’s finance office at 2 p.m. on Friday, July 29.

Mr. Pisano said VHB and the town will review the bids and recommend a lowest qualified bidder to DPW by Aug. 9. The town will continue to seek temporary easements from abutters to allow the town and its contractor to access private property to complete the needed improvements.

On Aug. 22, DPW will make a recommendation to the council, which will select the lowest qualified bidder. 

The contractor will begin work on Sept. 6, which will include the installation of erosion control, the replacement of drainage pipes and structures and stormwater improvements. 

Work will continue in October with the removal of the roadway structure and new paving, and the placement of loam and seed. In November, it’s anticipated the contractor will install new signs and a guardrail, and remove erosion control.

The project is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, according to Mr. Pisano.

Portsmouth ferry landing?

Also Saturday, the council will hear a request by Prudence homeowner R.J. Masse that a town committee be formed to study the feasibility of building a new ferry terminal in Portsmouth.

Currently, island residents are ferried by A&R Marine Corp. to Prudence from a landing off Thames Street in Bristol. Mr. Massey, however, says parking for island residents is limited in Bristol — and it’s getting worse. 

He said the solution would be for the town to find a location for a new ferry terminal on the west side of Portsmouth. “Weaver Cove, surrounded by what I believe is Navy land transferring to the town, could be an ideal location,” Mr. Masse stated in his letter.

In a Facebook message to The Portsmouth Times, Mr. Masse acknowledged that most Prudence residents don’t agree with supporting a terminal in Portsmouth because it’s not on a bus route, or close to restaurants or bars. He said he was more concerned with parking and access, however.

Ironically, former Prudence ferry operator Bruce Medley also has his eyes set on Portsmouth for a new terminal. (Mr. Medley, who ceased Bristol-to-Prudence operations in 2014 and was replaced by A&R Marine, still has a dock at Homestead on Prudence.)

“Since we have all of the components including two new ramps, cement blocks and both steel and wood pilings, we feel there would be little cost to the town,” Mr. Medley stated in a post on the Prudence Island Ferry Facebook page. “The ferry should come out of Portsmouth.”

Mr. Medley stated he had no immediate plans yet to make any formal request to the town, but urged islanders to express their concerns to council members and “consider us as an alternative ferry from Portsmouth in the future.”

Mr. Massey, meanwhile, said he supports the town establishing a ferry landing in Portsmouth, “but not if Medley is involved.”

Internet service

Also on the agenda for Saturday is a discussion on the island’s internet service, which Prudence residents have complained about for years. Verizon is the current internet service provider for Prudence, but many homes have slow performance.

The discussion will include an overview from JKS Technologies, which does IT support for the town, on a proposal for a wireless internet system that the town would build and own. A third-party company contracted by the town would act as a call center to manage the service, according to JKS.

Waste oil update

Prudence residents will also hear about a plan to add a waste oil drop-off and storage facility at the island transfer station.

Under the proposal, it would cost about $4,760 for the storage facility, plus an annual cost of about $2,500 to remove the used oil off the island.

Other business

The council will also take care of some business not pertaining to Prudence Island. Finance Director James Lathrop will ask the council to award a contract to complete the Leonard Brown House renovation project to the lowest of four bidders: The Damon Company of Newport.

Damon originally bid $1.02 million, which was still higher than the town had budgeted. However, after working with Damon and the architect, Union Design Studio, modifications were made to the plan that resulted in $200,330 of savings for a total of $822,305, according to Mr. Lathrop.

Prudence Island, Portsmouth Town Council, Narragansett Avenue, Prudence Island ferry, A&R Marine

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