Council discusses library renovations, Locksley Drive sidewalk, paving list
In recent meetings, the Mountain Brook City Council has discussed plans to renovate the Emmet O’Neal Library after noticing water damage throughout the facility. The damage was deemed to be as a result of faulty window structures among other design flaws, and during the meeting on March 27, the council reviewed a preliminary budget for replacing the windows and repairing other elements of the library.
Currently, the proposed budget is just over $822,000.
“Understand there is more to the scope [of the project] … than just taking the windows out and putting them back in,” said Rivers Price with Brasfield & Gorrie. Other repairs would be made to the stucco and roofing, and a large portion of the budget would be from the scaffolding. Councilman Phil Black also asked if city clerk Steve Boone would see if any of the damage was covered under existing insurance policies for the library.
Work would be done in stages and sections so as to not interfere with library functions, and Boone said there was money in the budget for the proposed project. The estimated timeline for the project would be approximately 18 weeks.
Ronnie Vaughn, with Mountain Brook Public Works, later presented to council members regarding a sidewalk addition to Locksley Drive from Overton Road to Dunbarton Drive. Depending on the location of the sidewalk, Vaughn said the project could cost up to $45,000. After reviewing each side of the road, however, he said it would be less expensive, around $21,000, and less intrusive to add a sidewalk on the side of Locksley where the fire station is located. Vaughn said building the sidewalk on the fire station side of the street may help avoid a queue of cars to allow pedestrians to cross the street, and councilwoman Virginia Smith agreed, saying there are a great deal of residents who use the bus stop on that side as well.
Locksley Drive resident Frank Tynes carried Smith’s sentiments, describing the block where the sidewalk would be added a “really uncomfortable place [to walk and drive].” “I think you get a lot of bang for your buck focusing on that curve,” he said.
While Boone said there was not a portion of this year’s budget sanctioned off for this project specifically, Vaughn verified that Public Works does have the funds to complete this project. The council later moved to proceed with the Locksley Drive sidewalk project.
Vaughn also presented the Public Works’ department paving list for 2017. In the upcoming months, construction workers will be working on the following:
- Old Leeds Road from Stone River Road to Rockcliff Circle
- Oakdale Drive from Vestavia City Limits to Oakdale Road (Public Works is currently working with Vestavia to potentially further repave their section of Oakdale Drive)
- Bethune Drive from Oakdale Drive to MBHS entrance
- Overton Road from Oakdale Drive to Colchester Road
- South Brookwood Road from Overton Road to Brookwood Forest Elementary
- Fair Oaks Drive from Wilderness Road to Kennesaw Drive
- Eden Circle
- Ronnie Wayne Circle
- Pumphouse Road from the U.S. 280 Bridge to Florida Short Route
Also at the city council meeting, members:
- Approved the minutes from the previous City Council meeting.
- Proclaimed April as the National Donate Life Month.
- Awarded the bid for the purchase of two high output ULV aerosol generators to the sole bidder, ADAPCO, LLC in consideration of $16,000 for each unit.
- Authorized the issuance of a permit pursuant to Ordinance No. 1948 with respect to the installation of a new support structure for small cell data and communications antenna within the public right-of-way in the vicinity of 3024 Cherokee Road.
- Declared a reconditioned 2001 Spartan GA40M-2142 fire truck surplus and authorizing its sale to the highest offer by way of an exclusive listing and marketing agreement between the City and Brindle Mountain Fire Apparatus.
- Authorized the execution of a listing and marketing commission agreement between the City and Brindlee Mountain Fire Apparatus with respect to their sale of a [surplus] 2001 Spartan GA40M-2142 fire truck.
- Approved an ordinance amending Article XXIII to the city code with respect to home occupation permitted uses; Article XVI of the city code with respect to the Planned Unit Development District; and Section 129-555 of the city code with respect to the Village Overlay District. After the approval of the amendments, residents Paul Nagrodzki and Lex Williamson spoke to council members and presented their idea to create a small committee of community members to help raise resident awareness and understanding of the building codes.
The next council meeting will be on April 10 at City Hall.