Steeple Getting Facelift, Traffic Issues Addressed
Street Blockage Issue on Two-year Project
By Leslie Rott

Traffic issues related to the restoration of the steeple at Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church were discussed by the city Street Committee when it met Thursday, August 18. The project, slated to begin as soon as the end of October, could take up to two years to complete, depending on whether the contractor will use scaffolding or hydraulic lift platforms to perform the work.

City engineer Dennis Dombroski said street blockage, weather, and time of year will affect the project and the concerns of the city. To facilitate the project and maintain order on the street, he said, the city will need to know where a platform lift will be stored, if one is used, and how scaffolding will be delivered to the site. The city will also be concerned with maintaining traffic flow around the church during the project.

If a lift is used, Mr. Dombroski estimates that it could take two seasons to complete the restoration work, and the city would expect it to be placed out of the way on weekends. If scaffolding is used, the work could probably be done in one season.

“We’ve got a lot of things on the table, but nothing concrete yet,” said Mayor Margaret Doud, speaking as a representative of the church.

Once the church board has made decisions and finalized plans for the restoration work, representatives will meet again with the Street Committee. Another meeting has not yet been scheduled.