The Barrington Town Council recently signed off on a bid to renovate the Kent Street tennis courts. 

At their May 6 meeting, Council members voted 3-0 to reallocate money from different American Rescue Plan Act-funded projects to the Kent Street work. They also voted 3-0 to accept a bid from a Connecticut-based company for $249,775 to complete the work. 

Barrington Department of Public Works Director Alan Corvi told Council members that the Kent Street courts were tired and needed to be upgraded. 

He said the project will include new guardrails in the parking area, new fencing, a new playing surface, walkways, erosion controls and landscaping improvements. The courts will be lined for tennis and pickle ball. 

The town is using $208,680 of ARPA funding and $66,071 from a streets and drainage bond to pay for the work. Some of the ARPA funding had previously been earmarked for different projects — $21,300 was for the Lincoln Avenue tennis court resurfacing project and $125,000 was for the Police Cove Park seawall repairs. 

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey told Council members that about $9,000 was coming from the remaining unassigned ARPA fund balance. 

Council member Kate Berard said she thought the seawall repairs would take priority over the Kent Street courts. Hervey explained that the sea wall work was not as extensive as originally thought. He added that more time is needed for permitting and engineering — he referenced time needed to work with the US Army Corp of Engineers and the state’s Coastal Resources Management Council.  

Hervey said he plans to include the project costs in next year’s budget. 

Berard also asked about the money from a streets and drainage bond. Hervey said the town has previously used streets and drainage bonds to make park improvements. He also said there is still ARPA money available to install a fence along the seawall at Police Cove Park.

Berard asked Hervey if the contractor for the Kent Street courts, Hinding Tennis, was ready to begin work soon. He said they were ready to go.

Council President Carl Kustell made a motion to reallocate the ARPA funding to pay for the Kent Street project. That motion passed 3-0. Kustell also made a motion to accept the bid from Hinding Tennis. The motion also passed, 3-0.

Grant requests denied

During the discussion about the Kent Street courts, the Town Manager mentioned that Barrington’s requests for DEM grant money — a large DEM grant for a skatepark in Barrington and a small DEM grant for expansion of the town’s splash pad park — had been denied. 

One grant application was for $280,000 to construct a new skatepark in a section of the parking lot behind Barrington Town Hall. That grant would have required a 20 percent match from the local community. 

The second grant application was for splash pad expansion and improvements. The grant was for $100,000 and required a 20 percent local match. 

Hervey said the town should be in a good position to land the DEM grants next year.