Barrington planning new tech, bike path and more

Council approves using federal funds for nearly $1 million in infrastructure upgrades

By Josh Bickford
Posted 8/10/22

Did your project make the list?

At their meeting late last month, members of the Barrington Town Council selected a handful of projects to be earmarked for federal American Rescue Plan Act …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Register to post events


If you'd like to post an event to our calendar, you can create a free account by clicking here.

Note that free accounts do not have access to our subscriber-only content.

Day pass subscribers

Are you a day pass subscriber who needs to log in? Click here to continue.


Barrington planning new tech, bike path and more

Council approves using federal funds for nearly $1 million in infrastructure upgrades

Posted

Did your project make the list?

At their meeting late last month, members of the Barrington Town Council selected a handful of projects to be earmarked for federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. The projects range from electrifying the town’s fleet of vehicles to repairing playground equipment.

The federal funding, better known as ARPA money, has already been committed to (and in some cases spent on) other projects.

For example, the town dedicated $1.6 million for improvements to the wastewater treatment plant which services Barrington residents and businesses. The town also spent $22,320 in APRA money for a new website design, and $10,000 to cover some of the cost of a new Ford Mach-E electric police vehicle. Another $41,871 will be used to install new electric vehicle charging stations at the public safety building.

The federal government gave the money to Barrington to help in the recovery from the pandemic. Barrington received nearly $4.8 million, and has about $2.8 million remaining.

Town officials have been discussing some of the bigger ticket projects that could benefit from the funding — specifically, there is a plan to renovate a portion of Haines Park and create new athletic fields. The work is estimated to cost $1 million, but that proposal did not garner the support of town council members at the July 25 meeting.

Instead, the council earmarked ARPA funds for more than a dozen other projects. They include cybersecurity improvements for the town, technology upgrades at the town hall, new radios for the fire department, and a new communication system for the police and fire departments.

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey asked council members to consider earmarking money for infrastructure improvements at Chianese Park. A spreadsheet for the proposed projects groups the Chianese Park work with improvements to the Lincoln Avenue and Kent Street tennis courts. Town officials included an estimate of $500,000 for all the work, but Hervey told councilors that the price could be higher.

Barrington Town Council President Michael Carroll asked if school officials were open to sharing the cost of repairing the Lincoln Avenue tennis courts; those courts are located across from the high school are used regularly by the high school tennis teams and gym classes.

Hervey said school officials had indicated that they would be able to offer a Rhode Island Department of Education reimbursement amount for the work, but Carroll said he would like to see the district contribute a greater amount.

Hervey seemed particularly concerned with the Chianese court improvements. He said the town has already been awarded a Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management grant for the work, which promises new, permanent pickle ball courts and other upgrades. In addition, Hervey suggested the town bring a professional on board to help with the Haines Park improvements.

Toward the end of the discussion, councilors began identifying the projects that would be earmarked for ARPA funds. They decided to discuss Chianese courts at the September meeting. Haines Park did not yet make the list, but Hervey is confident that there is plenty of time for that to happen.

 

Residents’ wish list

When Barrington officials first learned the town would be receiving nearly $5 million in federal funding as part of ARPA, they started thinking about how to spend the money. Barrington even created a virtual suggestion box on the town’s website, collecting dozens of ideas on how to spend the millions. Following are some ideas submitted to the virtual suggestion box:

• Our existing infrastructure should be assessed and upgraded, if necessary…

• Help fix the bike path bridges

• Sidewalks!

• Reduce property taxes for residents, especially retirees, who cannot afford to stay in home due to taxes

• Fully fund the fire/police pension

• Improve the electricity infrastructure

• Improve access to RIPTA bus stops

• Fix the roads!

• Improve broadband infrastructure west of Washington Road

• Outdoor recreation!

• Bike path improvements, sidewalk improvements, cutting carbon emissions

• Improved cell service

• Fix the bike path bridges; fix sidewalks to schools and town center

• Create sidewalks on Washington Road to Nayatt Road

• Turf sports fields

• Eliminate some sources of pollution/runoff to improve the water quality of Narragansett Bay

• Tap-In and other charities that help people

• Scholarships for BHS graduates

• Develop permanent pickle ball courts; offer clinics

• Community-based wifi

• Subtract sewer payments for all residents each year until fund runs out

• Build more housing

• Update electronic grid

• Give low income home owners a property tax break

• Put the bike path crossing at County Road underground

• Pay down debt from middle school bond

• Rehabilitate South Lake Drive

• Schools, roads

• Improve non-automobile connectivity and circulation in town

• Pay for a town-wide stormwater drainage and resilience study

2024 by East Bay Media Group

Barrington · Bristol · East Providence · Little Compton · Portsmouth · Tiverton · Warren · Westport
Meet our staff
MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.