New London — City officials have promised to re-evaluate recently completed sidewalk repairs on Bank Street following an outcry from business owners over what they say is unattractive work.

The work was the subject of an information meeting Tuesday at Copperwood Grill, where Public Works Director Brian Sear assumed the proverbial hot seat.

Bank Street property owner Frank McLaughlin said original notices from public works to businesses indicated sidewalks would be replaced.

“Then all of a sudden you’ve got a crew out there putting down putty and I think that’s what’s got everybody’s pants in a bundle,” McLaughlin said.

The work, which included use of an epoxy, was completed intermittently along a stretch of Bank Street, between Tilley and State streets. Contractors were directed to fill in cracks and level out sections of the sidewalk to avoid trip and fall hazards, Sear said. Several badly degraded sections were completely replaced.

Barbara Neff and others pointed out that, besides being a different color than the sidewalk, the epoxy already is cracking.

Sear said that, based on the reaction and comments from business owners, the city would go back and evaluate the sidewalk “piece by piece” and work with business owners in the process.

Some sections eventually may be replaced.

It is unclear when more work might be completed, but Sear said contractors had thus far steered clear of exisiting vaults — metal covered access points in the sidewalks that lead to the lower levels of the businesses.

Sear said contractors were not prepared to start work without knowing the structural condition of the areas surrounding the vaults, which hold up the sidewalks with metal framework.

Epoxy was not the only topic of discussion.

Prior to the sidewalk work, a utility company had used fluorescent spray paint to mark various locations of underground utilities.

The spray paint, along with some spray-painted stenciling from a weekend health walk, remains an eyesore, some said.

Rich Martin was among others to question whether the city has an overall plan for the downtown area, pointing out that sidewalks were replaced on some nearby streets.

“We’ve got to get back to a plan that gets us replacing all the sidewalks and making our downtown look consistent,” Martin said.

“I think visual consistency throughout the downtown is going to help our businesses," he added.

The sidewalk work was completed as part of a $2.3 million overall roadway improvement project approved for this year.

The City Council in March approved a contract extension with Colonna Concrete and Asphalt Paving, which has been doing the work in the city for at least two years now, Sear said.

The city has earmarked $295,000 of the $2.3 million for sidewalk replacements and adjustments on State Street, Eugene O’Neill Drive, Golden Street and Bank Street.

The work includes installation of tree grates at State Street and Eugene O’Neill Drive.

At $125,000, Bank Street was assigned the bulk of the funding.

Until now, Sear said, no one has complained about the quality of the sidewalk work. 

Colonna currently is replacing sidewalks along Broad Street.

In an unrelated project, the council on Monday authorized Colonna, based on its $1,357,316 bid, to complete reconstruction of the two municipal parking lots off Eugene O’Neill Drive.

The reconstruction and reconfiguration of the parking lots is expected to include repaving, landscape improvements and narrowing of a portion of Eugene O’Neill Drive to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment.

 g.smith@theday.com