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Bridges, sidewalks reviewed at council meeting

by

Lexi Coon.

Lexi Coon.

After previously moving forward with the bridge along Caldwell Mill Road, council members on Nov. 27 opted to take a step back due to flooding concerns. 

Blair Perry with Gresham Smith Partners presented his findings to the council, stating the current Caldwell Mill Road bridge constricts water flow of Little Shades Creek and water would pour over the bridge during 10-year flood conditions, according to FEMA models. If the city proceeded with their previous decision to create a CONSPAN bridge with decorative stone railing, Perry said the bridge would further restrict water flow upstream. 

In order to continue with the project, it has to be approved by FEMA, which would cause delays. Meanwhile, Perry said they anticipate the existing Old Brook Trail bridge project running into similar problems and would also require an approval from FEMA.

To keep cost low, he suggested performing one flood study for both bridges and then submit the findings to FEMA for one approval, which would be half the cost of two separate submittals. Gresham Smith Partners would then be able to design bridges that could withstand 50- and 100-floods and possibly lower flood flows throughout Little Shades Creek. 

The main negative side affect of performing one larger flood study is that the timeline for Caldwell Mill Road bridge project would be delayed, possibly until the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019. 

In the meantime, public works director Ronnie Vaughn said the bridges can withstand traffic on them until the city is able to replace the bridges. Council members approved the combined study before moving on to a separate matter of infrastructure: sidewalks.

Alicia Bailey with Sain Associates presented three grant options during the council meeting. Two of the options fell under the TAP, or transportation alternative program, funding and the third was under a CMAQ, or Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality, grant.

The first of the two TAP grant proposals that were discussed were for sidewalks connecting Overhill Road, Balmoral Road and Pine Crest Road. 

Neighboring residents were opposed to having the sidewalk along the lower side of Balmoral Road citing smaller properties and utility lines, to which council members agreed. However, pushing the sidewalk to the higher side of Balmoral Road would increase the city’s project cost by $200,000, totaling to about $800,000.

The council did not approve a grant application for this portion of the project due to the high cost and other big-ticket items that are already planned, such as the bridges that were previously discussed. It may be revisited in the future after looking at budgeting for future construction and possibly for a CMAQ grant instead.

Council members also reviewed a section of sidewalks connecting North Woodridge Road, Locksley Drive and Dunbarton Drive that could be submitted for TAP funding and would cost the city an estimate $1.485 million to construct as proposed.

To mitigate the cost, city manager Sam Gaston proposed applying for a TAP grant for sidewalks only on Dunbarton Drive from North Woodridge Road to Locksley Drive, not on all of them. This would cut the city's portion of the cost down to approximately $250,000, Bailey said, and would help move a portion of the sidewalk master plan along. 

Council members approved a grant application for this suggestion.

The final section the council looked at was for a CMAQ grant, in which funding would be provided partially for phase one of the sidewalk plan. Pine Ridge Road, Mountain Park Drive, Montevallo Lane and Richmar Drive are all a part of that first phase, but council elected to apply for a grant for a sidewalk along Pine Ridge Road only to mitigate costs and distribution of the CMAQ funds. 

If awarded this grant, the city would be paying 20 percent of the total cost, or about $540,000. “That’s well worth it,” said council president Virginia Smith.

Also during the meeting, council members:

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