Striving to keep the Sandy Hook Permanent Memorial project on time and within budget, the Public Buildings and Site Commission (PBSC) on September 28 approved a number of change orders.

The PBSC approved $3,839 for a permanent entry gate, $77,324 for concrete unit pavers, a $59,830 reduction for reduced site lighting of Bollard lights, $16,121 for a new water line connection and $16,389 for a new electrical line.

Michael Dell’Accio, project manager with Downes Construction Company, said that there may be a possibility of a donation of granite cobblestone pavers that could replace the currently planned concrete pavers in the closest loop of the memorial, around the water feature.

The issue of the pavers has been ongoing, as the initial plan ended up being more than $300,000 and was determined to be too expensive, and many alternate possibilities have been difficult to obtain in a timely fashion due to supply chain issues. The change order for concrete pavers was approved, but if the donation happens it could save the town as much as $50,000 off that authorized expenditure.

This measure does not include the cost of installation, officials noted.

The issue of lighting has been attached to the issue of the pavers, as Downes and the town looked at ways to save money to accommodate increased cost of the pavers.

A current plan would reduce some lighting, but the PBSC decided to keep lighting along the path from the memorial to the parking lot for safety reasons. First Selectman Dan Rosenthal expressed concern that since the pathway, which is an estimated 75 to 100 feet long, is a slope, that when the sun sets it may become darker along that pathway than in other areas.

Commission members were also concerned that memorial visitors may slip and fall along the path in the dark, or that it may be difficult to spot trespassers after the memorial is closed at night.

Daniel Affleck, associate principal with SWA Architectural Firm, said that if the commission decided not to install the lights now but decided it wanted them later, the cost would be considerably more than the current $11,000 estimate. Rosenthal said that the difference between either losing the lights on the pathway or keeping them would be whether the project had $100,000 left in its contingency fund or $110,000.

A permanent entry gate that can be closed and locked over night and during the winter was added for $3,839. The memorial, like other town parks, will be closed after dusk and Rosenthal stated that it will also be closed from December 31 until the spring each year.

Dell’Accio reported that Downes had been in “constant contact” with Eversource about the final location of a transformer.

The commission approved a “not to exceed” price of $16,389 for the transformer and line even though final designs are not finished so that the work would not have to wait to begin until after PBSC’s next meeting on October 26, which would delay the project. The cost for the line has come about because even though the town has permission to cross a water line through a neighboring property, it does not have permission to move the electrical through the same right of way.

Eversource would have to go through an approval process for that with the state, which Downes and PBSC felt would be too time-consuming, so the new plan would send the electrical line down the memorial’s driveway.

The water line work is also being approved with a “not to exceed” price, as Downes is waiting to get the size of a water meter pit to finalize the design. Costs are estimates and may be reduced when the design is finalized.

Jeff Anderson, the preconstruction manager with Downes, said that Downes is now planning a water line from the street instead of a well. Rosenthal said that putting in a water line was previously “prohibitively expensive,” but now that Aquarion is in the process of installing a water line along Riverside Road, it has become a possibility.

Dell’Accio also answered a commission question about the cost of filtration being reduced because the project is no longer using a well, saying that Downes is currently looking into that possibility; additionally, the cost of a water pump may also be eliminated. Those reductions could free up costs elsewhere.

“Unless a utility company throws us a curveball, we should be in good shape,” said commission member Harold Brennan.

Dell’Accio reported that tree clearing is complete, the excavation for the water feature is complete, and laying out of PVC piping for water would begin on September 29. Rebar and concrete work was expected to begin toward the end of October.

“We’re in good shape,” Dell’Accio said.

“We still have some heavy work to do, but in the grand scheme of things we’re still feeling pretty good,” said Rosenthal.

Reporter Jim Taylor can be reached at jim@thebee.com.