West Lebanon
“I think everybody on the street is delighted it’s finally happening. It’s been a long wait,” Clem said in an interview on Tuesday. “I had hoped to complete (the work) two years ago but it didn’t happen.”
Crews from White River Junction-based Nott’s Excavating have run a temporary water line to homes on the West Lebanon street. They next hope to begin excavating and replacing sewer pipes, Clem said.
The construction, which is expected to wrap up in late October, is the first phase of a planned extension of Crafts Avenue.
The street ultimately will include nine new homes in a cul-de-sac when construction is complete.
Clem then hopes to use the sewer improvements to build 100 River Park, the first mixed-use building at the nearby River Park subdivision. Plans for the development call for 840,000 square feet of retail, office and life science space on 38 acres between Route 10 and the Connecticut River.
Clem said 100 River Park is still awaiting a building permit, but he believes the city is close to signing off on one. However, the developer isn’t sure if work will begin this building season.
“Given the history of this project, I’m not going to speculate (on a timeline),” he said.
When River Park was approved by the city in 2011, the Crafts Avenue work initially was planned to begin in 2015.
It was pushed off to summer 2016, when Clem hired Thetford-based Northwoods Excavating to begin preconstruction work on the street.
The work was halted, though, when city planners informed him that Lebanon hadn’t budgeted its share of the money needed to complete the infrastructure improvements.
The two also struggled to negotiate how much money Clem should put forth as a bond that would act as collateral if the project isn’t finished.
More than a year of negotiation ensued, with Lebanon ultimately settling on a $565,000 bond and agreeing to pay its share.
Lebanon-based engineering firm Pathways Consulting also will provide oversight on the city’s behalf.
In a July blog post, Clem thanked City Manager Shaun Mulholland, who was hired to the leadership post in January, for ushering the Crafts Avenue project through permitting.
“I think we both have a mutual interest in making sure we can develop this area,” Mulholland said on Tuesday, adding the development will add new jobs and housing to West Lebanon.
“We will continue to work with David on this project, as well as others we have been talking to him about,” he said.
Nott’s Excavating will begin its work near the intersection with Bridge Street, which also is Route 4, and work north toward the future home of River Park, Clem said.
Construction is expected to last 10-12 weeks, depending on weather conditions.
At the end of each day, crews will place steel plates over cuts into the road so that residents can access their homes. Clem also will be reinstalling current sidewalks and curbs that may be damaged, as well as building a new sidewalk from Beyerle Street to River Park.
Clem, who now lives on Crafts Avenue, said he’s also working to accommodate neighbors.
He recently mowed a piece of land at the end of the street for people to park boats, trailers or any other equipment during the street work.
“At one of our past meetings in the Lyme (Properties) office, someone asked if they could park extra vehicles at River Park during construction so they didn’t have to worry about access,” Clem said.
People can find out more about the project at Clem’s blog at http://www.riverparkwestlebanon.com/daves-blog.
Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.