DARIEN, Conn. — The following comments on the Hoyt Street sidewalk project were made by Darien Representative Town Meeting member Holly Schulz at Monday night's Board of Selectmen meeting.

I'm requesting, on behalf of my neighborhood, that the Board of Selectmen include $250,000 in the 2012-13 budget to be allocated for sidewalk construction along Hoyt Street from Leeds Lane to Talmadge Hill Road (or Barringer Road if an agreement cannot be reached with New Canaan for them to allow us to construct the walk all the way). It is 0.5 mile (2,640 linear feet) from Leeds Lane to Talmadge Hill Road. It is 0.1 mile (528 linear feet) from Barringer Road to Talmadge Hill Road.

The price estimated above is based on the most recent concrete sidewalk work that was completed in 2011 by the town of Darien. The Department of Public Works spent more than $320,000 to demolish and dispose of the existing concrete walks, replacing them with new concrete walks along West Avenue (from Noroton to Rings End) and along Noroton Avenue (from Elm to Middlesex). This cost included both the contractor (materials and labor) and police (traffic management during construction). There was a total of 3,710 linear feet of new replacement walk installed, and the total cost for all the work breaks down to $86.65 per linear foot.

As the cost to demolish and dispose of the old walks in this comparative project is significant, we're assuming this may equate partially to the cost to do the site work necessary to prep for a new walk to be installed. There are obviously other variables, including a difference in the standard curb details used by the town versus those required by the state Department of Transporation. So we have figured the cost for the proposed Hoyt Street walk using the $86.65 per linear fot and rounded up as no actual estimate has yet been pursued by the Department of Public Works for this project.

Estimated cost for sidewalk installation:

• Overall stretch from Leeds Lane to Talmadge Hill Road (0.5mile / 2640 linear feet) = $228,756

• New Canaan portion from Barringer Road to Talmadge Hill Road (0.1mile / 528 linear feet) = $45,751

• Darien portion from Leeds Lane to Barringer Road 0.4mile / 2,112 linear feet) = $183,005

Thank you for your consideration.

Send your letters to cdonahue@thedailydarien.com.