The Streets and Drainage Advisory Task Force concluded this summer to postpone project construction from its initially planned start date of September 2024 to the new start date of September 2025.
The decision was prompted by a number of factors, but primarily due to the significant number of Lakesider driveways that would be negatively impacted and the expected cost associated with remediation of those impacts. We also learned that available paving equipment could not construct the then-planned inverted crown due to the narrow street widths.
Lakeside Project Manager Fred Seling has been working with Contractors Design Engineering (CDE) on the updated design. The new design is a mill and fill project which will include full-depth pavement repairs where necessary. This design is based on existing road-edge elevations, so driveway impacts are minimized.
Street-Related Drainage
To address street-related drainage issues, the plan is to implement local drainage solutions where necessary and feasible. These solutions include small basin draining to rock or grading improvements.
Updated Scope & Bidding Process
The updated scope for this phase to be bid will include Poplar Avenue to Jasmine Avenue, eight north and south streets and the east and west streets in between, as well as the 100 block of Oak Avenue. Because Oak Avenue is wide enough for equipment, the Oak Avenue segment will continue to be an inverted crown design. The new construction timing is now September 2025.
Since the project is being conducted on a pay-as-you-go basis, the decision about the actual streets to be included in Phase 1 will be based on the bids received and funds projected to be available in the Streets Account at the time of construction. We are expecting to be able to make up for some of the delay from this fall’s construction postponement.
CDE has advised Lakeside they will be prepared to submit bid requests by early March 2025. March is still a time when bidders are looking to firm up their project work and contractors should be better able to project their costs within this shorter six-month period.
Fieldwork for Upcoming Phases Continues
In addition, CDE will be working to complete the remaining fieldwork for all remaining streets this fall and winter to plan upcoming phases.
Estimated Project Cost
We do not have any basis at this time to modify the estimated $4 million project cost. Receipt of bids for the Phase 1 work in March will provide additional information to assess the expected overall cost.
We are all aware of the recent Ottawa County Auditor notices of property reappraisal. Comprehensive reassessment data for all Lakeside properties are expected to be available from the Auditor’s Office near year-end 2024. Lakeside staff and the Board Finance Committee are sensitive to this situation and have this concern at the forefront of Lakeside assessment planning.
Review the last “Streets Alert” about the delayed start timeline.
