By Greg Ellison

(Oct. 28, 2021) After learning State Highway User Revenues would be nearly doubled this year and next, the Berlin Town Council agreed on Monday to move ahead with replacing a walkway in Stephen Decatur Park and repaving three streets.

In addition to replacing the four-foot wide pathway circling Decatur Park, the council also authorized preparation of a request for proposals to repave Stevenson Lane, Decatur Street and Graham Avenue east.

Town Administrator Jeff Fleetwood said the Maryland Department of Transportation sent a letter late last month announcing estimated highway user revenues would be increased to $227,221 for FY22 and $233,293 for FY23.

“We budgeted $113,000,” he said.

Fleetwood said with updated revenue forecasts roughly doubling budget figures for FY22, the town could consider addressing problem roads identified in a street study three years ago.

“The next three streets on that list to receive attention would be Stevenson, Decatur and Graham Avenue east,” he said.

Fleetwood said earlier estimates were roughly $100,000 to repave the trio of roads.

Another consideration for the revenue windfall suggested by Fleetwood would be to replace a path in Decatur Park comprised of recycled scrap tires.

Deputy Town Administrator Mary Bohlen said the walking path was installed a number of years ago using material from the Maryland Scrap Tire Program.

After the path was set, it became apparent seasonal weather changes rapidly deteriorated materials.

“It was found that it should not have been installed this far north,” she said.

Bohlen said winter freezing and subsequent thawing wreaked havoc on the recycled material.

“We were an experiment,” she said.

Fleetwood said walking path users encounter numerous problem sections.

“There’s some long runs and short runs,” he said. “It’s buckled [and] it’s coming apart.

“I think this really needs to be done from a safety perspective,” he said.

In terms of cost, Fleetwood said replacing the path with recycled materials would run about $400,000, while switching to asphalt would drop the price to between $80,000-$90,000.

“It would be a lot easier to maintain,” he said.

Excavating the walkway would involve digging six or seven inches and removing numerous roots from surrounding trees.

“There’s a lot of tress and a lot of roots,” he said. “They’re going to grow back — let’s not kid ourselves, but it’s going to slow it down for a period of time.”

Fleetwood did confirm that digging up the .6-mile walkway would cause no environmental damage.

“Folks I’ve spoken to said it’s not devastating enough to do any damage to the trees,” he said.

Mayor Zach Tyndall said the revamped walkway would also be ADA compliant.

“Right now, it may be intended to be ADA compliant but it’s got some major pitfalls in there,” he said.

Fleetwood said based on council consensus a request for proposals would be prepared for both projects by the group’s next meeting on Nov. 8.

Estimating costs at about $200,000, Fleetwood said more than half could be drawn from highway user revenues with the balance derived from the general impact fee fund.

“I believe the park is used by most, if not all, citizens of the town,” he said.