08/11/1975 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Public headng-was closed~ there being-no furthertestiriJony; In response to-Coimcilwoman Beal, Mr. Allen said the_area was-recently annexed, no assessments have been made for th~t- section of Agate _ Street, previously a county . road.- Also, that although the city usually pays for overlays, in this instance the road was not built to city specifications. Therefore, initial assessment would be against the properties abutting. The original plan for the city's paying for the overlay, Mr.Allen continued in answer to Mrs. Beal, was "snap judgment, city pays for overlays." However, in staff discussion it was decided that policy probably cou1dnot be followed: He acknowledged that the overlay could be paid for from city funds, they were available, but he recommended strongly against it because the project would probably be a part of the final -improvement. In further response to Mr. Beal, Mr. Allen said that the Council~ could determine to pay for the overlay. However, he felt it would set precedent. He added~that not too many streets incorporate the old street into the new for initial assessment. He discussed further the fill required to build up the west side of the street, the assessment process for overlays, and actual width for which property would be assessed under this contract. In answer to questions from Councilwoman Shirey, Mr. Allen said there were sections of the street that would be 32 feet wide upon completion of the entire street. The width under this project would be 28 feet. He said letters had been sent to property owners notifying them they would be assessed the cost for a portion fo the street. He said the precedent involved the question of whether a part of the overlay would be made a part of the total permanent project. When the west side is finished there may be additional engineering problems encountered trying to fit the curb to that side of the street, he said, and he was sure more overlay would be needed when that occurred. If the overlay was going to be incorporated into the permanent street equal to a_brand new street, he felt it would be pretty hard to justify subsidizing ~ its cost. Mrs. Shirey was interested in exploring any possible alternative because-- of the number of people who were opposed to the project. She said she had voted to go ahead with the design under the assumption that the project was only to address the safety situation. Mr. Allen responded that developing curb and sidewalk on the east side only, trying to make the minimum improvement, and trying to fit the new pavement into the old road, was causing the problem. Councilman Haws asked what would happen to the assessment when the street was fully engineered. Mr. Allen said the west side properties then would be assessed for the curb and improvement on that side of the street. Whether there would be any cost beyond that, he said, he wouldn't know until that contract was bid. He was sure the actual thickness of this overIay would need "feathering out" when the west side was completed. Councilman Keller disagreed with the staff's viewpont and said this design might not be the answer. He felt allowing cars to park on the street would create a hazard because of the hill. Mayor Anderson felt the project would be impossible if the street was engineered to "gerrymander" up the hill to avoid placing fill as proposed. He thought the project was sound and could be engineered to full completion for a standard city street when it was done. Counci~man Murray asked why it was that the entire street wasn't constructed at this time if it was going' to end up a fully constructed street in the end. Mr. Allen said . that staff thought it should be fully improved, however, the people owning property abutting the right-of-way were 100% against it. When Mr. Murray asked if they were 100% against half of it being constructed, Mr. Allen said not, the improvement would be assessed entirely to_one developer and EWEB, plus the people on the west side of the street who will pay for half the sidewalk and the overlay on their side of the road. 8/11/75 - 14 4=Sf