FOOTWASHES A SUCCESS
About a year ago, the Board of Directors made a decision on what seemed to be the most controversial issue in years-footwashes. After much petition signing and discussions at Annual Meetings about the potential benefits and hazards of showers at each walkway, the decision was made to put in lower footwashes.
They were originally designed by Chuck Taylor, and adjacent property owners were given the chance to comment on the specifics. Taking those suggestions into account, they were manufactured by Joe Wolf, and installed in May 2002 by the team of Wolf and Wiecking. They proved to be a big hit; the various individuals involved received many compliments about them.
The exact location of each unit was carefully considered. As with the paved roads in our community, the walkways do not run down the middle of the 10' wide association Right of Way. In each case all the surveyor's (marks/points/stations/?)(from the 1960? survey) were found, and the footwashes tucked in where feasable. Although no privately installed fences needed to be moved for the original installation, some branches were cut back and one walkway needed to be slightly realigned.
There was a safety issue suggested-moving the associated community trash can holders so that children on the path wouldn't be hidden from the view of traffic entering from Bridge Rd. This was implemented where practical. During the season, some concern was expressed about the "traffic jam" that occasionally occurred at the ends of walkways. This is one of many "ease of access" issues that the Board is addressing this offseason.
For the most part, the water from the footwashes drained into the 3' x 4' x 10" deep pit under each footwash. However, by the middle of August, one pit had completely filled with sand, and the other 3 were close. Use of a metal grate to facilitate pit maintenance was considered, but the wooden deck fit in nicer with the existing walkways. Obviously, this will be monitored carefully over the coming years.
Their installation came in well under budget. The water bill from July 23 onward was not available at press time (daw insert-I'm guessing it'll be received by Wilgus early November). ..................
(Check old handouts for arguments for and against)
They were winterized for the season on October 6th, which was determined by on-site observation to be the First Day of Middlesex Meteorogical Autumn. They will be reactivated in early May.
