By David Harry

Staff Writer

Running Hill, Old County and Pine Point roads are areas that could be most affected by town council approval of a $4.7 million public works bond last week.

Within the bond is funding for extending sewer lines to a rezoned area near Running Hill and New roads, improvements on the section of road closer to its intersection with Route 114, and more study on how to alleviate heavy traffic flow on the road.

The bond also contains $1.35 million in funding to improve drainage on Old County Road using pipelines no longer needed by the Scarborough Sanitary District and $170,000 for work where Pine Point Road curves to meet King Street near the Lighthouse Inn.

The council also approved $1.47 million in bonds for capital improvements at local schools. An additional bond totaling more than $648,000 for municipal capital equipment will be considered at the March 3 council meeting.

The council tabled the capital equipment bond until its next meeting to determine if everything listed was needed and what had already been bought. With the exception of $40,000 in library improvements, the bond would actually repay the town for items such as a street sweeper and plow truck that have already been bought, Town Manager Tom Hall said.

The council had approved money for the bonds in the town’s fiscal 2010 budget, but the town charter requires a council vote that allows the town manager to obtain the bonds, Hall said. While the town charter requires voter approval for bonds of more than $400,000, bonds for street, sidewalk or sewer projects are exempted.

Sewer installation, road improvements and traffic studies on Running Hill Road comprise about $2.09 million of the bond spending, although extension of municipal sewer lines to an area roughly bordered by Running Hill and New roads is not immediately planned, said Town Planner Dan Bacon.

The area has been rezoned for some development, but without a firm commitment to build from private developers, no public works projects will begin, Bacon said. The first phase of the sewer extension comprises $1.45 million of the bond, according to town council documents.

The addition of pedestrian lanes to a section of Running Hill Road west from New Road to the intersection with Gorham Road will begin later this year, said Public Works Director Mike Shaw. The bond includes $591,000 for the work.

While Shaw said there “will not be a lot of change in character to the road,” future commercial development of the area closer to the Maine Mall could lead to changes in westbound traffic flow.

 Town Manager Tom Hall said $50,000 of the bond will be used for more study of traffic flow on Running Hill Road between the mall and Gorham Road. The road has long been used by drivers headed to and from the mall area, Hall said. He and other town officials have been working with area homeowners on ways to both slow and diminish traffic.

Discussed options have included building a new road through the rezoned area as part of the development process, Hall said. The road would resemble Gallery Boulevard, which runs past the Scarborough Gallery retail area that includes Super Wal-Mart and Lowe’s.

Another idea discussed proposes altering the western portion of Running Hill Road so it flows into New Road to create a loop intersecting with Gorham Road on each end. Any new road spanning the developed area could also be designed to divert most traffic from continuing west on Running Hill Road, Hall said.

Traffic lanes where the curved section of Pine Point Road meets King Street will be narrowed in an effort to slow traffic, according to plans. If the construction work costs less than expected, Hall said he envisions remaining bond money would be used to construct a new drop-off zone for public access to Pine Point Beach.

The access area would be built on a 13,000-square–foot area of town-owned land between the Lighthouse Inn and Beach Walk subdivision. Hall said a task force of town officials, area residents and subdivision owners is preparing a final plan to present the planning board at its March 15 meeting.

The board will be asked for advice on how the plan fits with ordinances but will not vote on it before it is presented to the town council, Hall said.

Staff writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219