Town Hall parking upgrade can now begin

SHARON — Voters agreed unanimously to accept a grant from the state Small Town  Economic Assistance Program (STEAP) at a special town meeting held at the Sharon Congregational Church on Friday, Dec. 4. The meeting drew sparse attendance for its in-person voting participation and only two residents as Zoom observers.

Actions approved at the town meeting were to accept the $125,000 STEAP grant and to appropriate $60,000 from the capital non-recurring fund to provide the balance of required town matching funds.  

The STEAP grant will fund improvements to be made to the Town Hall parking lot, including drainage and expansion within the space between the Town Hall and the radio station (which is in a town-owned building) next door. Neighboring residents asked that the town be mindful of an abutting area on their property that suffers the effects on vegetation of melting snowplow piles containing salt.

First Selectman Brent Colley responded that landscaping work would be included in a subsequent phase, not this initial parking lot project.  

“Landscaping is totally open for discussion,” Colley said. “We want to have discussions with all the neighbors.”

In a third action that drew no comment, voters approved an appropriation for a $70,000 supplemental expense stemming from settlement of a personnel case decided by the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities.

All of the actions approved by the town meeting had prior consideration and approval by the Board of Finance.