The new plan worked out by village officials, their engineer and contractor Frank Kane, whose company was awarded the $688,000 contract, was explained to the nearly 50 people who attended an informational meeting Monday night.

Kane described the original 75-day timetable as a "high pressure schedule" and said he thought the job would go better if it was done block-by-block instead of tearing up the entire length of the street at one time.

"We batted things around and want to make things the best we can for businesses and tourists," said Project Manager Jim Heiser, of Lamont Engineering, who added that 75 days was "ambitious."

"There's a lot of work to do in that time period," he said, adding that there were questions about what could happen if snow came early to the area this fall.

"There's a good chance we won't be able to get blacktop at that time," he said. "We looked at not milling the street; doing the cuts in the pavement and then temporarily paving the cuts for over the winter. We would mill the whole thing and pave it over in the spring."

If the entire project was delayed until spring, work would probably begin around April 15 and stretch almost to the Fourth of July holiday which would impact the summer season.

Many of the non-baseball Main Street businesses told the board that the fall and Christmas season was their most important and that the disruptions caused by the project could have a devastating impact.

"Not all businesses are baseball oriented. Fall is just as busy as summer," said Neil Weiller of Muskrat Hill.

"My season is not the summer," said Rick Gibbons of Riverwood. "For me to loose that season (fall) would be devastating. The summer visitors are not my customers."

Heiser said that by going block-by-block they would "not be getting the whole village tied up." The new approach to the project would put off milling the street until spring and allow the contractor to focus on specific sections of the street as the work progresses from River Street to Pine Blvd. Although the section where work is underway would most likely be closed to traffic, parking and traffic could be maintained on the remainder of the street.

Brian Clancy, the village's Coordinator of Public Works, said the street would be divided into segments starting with River Street to Fair Street; Fair Street to Pioneer Street; Pioneer Street to the Doubleday Field lot entrance; from the lot entrance to the stoplight and from there to Pine Blvd.

"Everything would be open except the block where they're working," Heiser said.

Sidewalks will remain open throughout the job, Kane said because his work only goes to the curb. There may be instances when other contractors, hired by property owners, have to tear up sidewalk to replace sewer lines into buildings while the street is opened up.

As the work is completed in the fall, any spots in the pavement that had been opened up to perform water and sewer line repairs would be temporarily re-paved. In the spring, the contractor would return for approximately three weeks to mill the old asphalt and repave the entire street. There was uncertainty about whether Main Street would have to be totally closed down for the milling and paving and Kane said he thought it might be possible to maintain one lane of traffic.

"We could get it done quicker," said Mayor Waller, "but it would close down everything."

The new plan, which was approved by the trustees at the close of the meeting will add approximately $40,000 to the cost of the project. The village currently has the money in hand to fund the project. The bulk of it will come from the streets reserve fund and the general fund surplus. The cost of work on sewer and water lines will be paid for through water and sewer revenues. Waller said this project will not impact rates, but that future capital projects may require an increase.

While the new plan lessens the impact on the business district, there still remain details to be worked out. Waller said she thinks the trolleys, which usually return to a weekends only schedule after Labor Day, should continue running on weekdays to help move employees and customers from parking lots to the downtown area.

Trolley committee chairman Giles Russell said they are currently looking at the situation and trying to determine whether running a trolley is necessary or makes sense.

"If it is necessary and we feel we can provide appropriate service, we will do it," he said.

Traffic will have to be detoured as work moves along the street and may include directing cars through Doubleday Field parking lot, according Clancy.

There were suggestions of suspending two-hour parking and using part of Doubleday Field for a staging area to expedite deliveries to Main Street businesses. Waller also said she is working with Bassett Healthcare officials who told her they have 100 employees who park on village streets each day. The hospital, she said, will do its best to move those employees off the streets. She is also trying to strike a deal for the use of the red trolley lot and the former Mobil gas station on Chestnut Street for additional parking.

"We are trying to work with you," she told the businesspeople and residents. "We're trying to have the least impact."

"Block-by-block is best. It's the least amount of interruption," said Weiller.

Work on the project is scheduled to begin September 3.