Paving of the Library Parking Lot Begins - Ending Risk of More Trips, Stumbles, and Lawsuits
A $295,000 requisition to replace the Westport Library Upper Parking Lot was approved by the RTM back in February, with stories of trips and falls riddling the discussion. This week, the old asphalt was ripped up and the paving process began. The lot is fully closed as the reconstruction continues, and is expected to be completed in the next week. This comes just weeks before the start to the Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Art’s 2021 season, an exciting milestone as the non-profit performing arts center had to cancel their 2020 season.
The Westport Library’s upper parking lot was described as a “liability” for the Town of Westport at the February RTM meeting. The lot, which was decades old and developed deep divots and mounds throughout its parking deck, was the cause for lawsuits against the Town after pedestrians injured themselves while traversing its asphalt, according to RTM members. The parking lot was built on the site of a former landfill, something the Westport Library itself battled as its building slowly settled into the volatile soil system. The Library parking lot project was one of many projects approved in February, all of which totaled more than 1.2 million dollars for the Department of Public Works. Also being repaved is the Westport Senior Center’s parking lot, a $320,000 project.