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Little Run Acres project nears end

By Staff | Mar 4, 2011

The sidewalk and storm drainage project along Little Run Acres, near Shepherdstown Elementary School, is slated to be finished by the end of April, according to the Jefferson County Schools assistant superintendent of maintenance and construction.

Ralph Dinges said after the Corporation of Shepherdstown approved to pay for up to $18,000 in materials for a new waterline at the water board’s Feb. 3 special meeting, it was taken to the county school board meeting on Feb. 18.

The board approved to provide additional funds for the project, totaling $159,000 going towards a project that has already cost $285,000 in grants and school board funding.

“(It’s a) very costly project for the school system,” Dinges said. “However, it is extremely important to have our children safe.”

This project will not only provide pedestrian safety by installing a new sidewalk, but the county is also upgrading the storm water drainage system in the area. And, with the addition of an upgraded waterline, the schools will now have fire safety. Dinges said the elementary school and Shepherdstown Middle School will be able to support sprinkler systems in the future.

Dinges said the next stage for Jefferson Asphalt, who is helping in the project, is to install the new waterline then to remove the old one so that school and residents don’t go without water.

Then the team will make the storm drainage improvements at the corner of Church Street “which will remove a lot of flooding issues there,” Dinges said.

The last stage is the actual pouring of sidewalk concrete.

The sidewalk project started back in 2006 when SES Principal Suzanne Offutt applied for a Safe Routes to Schools grant for the maximum amount of $75,000. After receiving word that the sidewalk could not happen unless the storm water issue was solved, which would require more money, the school has worked with county and state agencies to see the project to completion.