Squaring away the details

Visually speaking, the block on which Old Stoney sits is changing by the day. The project to create a park on the corner by Cleveland Street is now in full swing, while the opposite end of the street may now also see a little sprucing up.

Facilities Director Larry Schommer approached the council last week to explain that his department is looking at redoing the sidewalk outside the library. Things are looking good down there apart from that, he said, as the sidewalk is cracked up and in need of attention.

It’s within Schommer’s departmental budget to redo the sidewalk, he said, and he is considering the possibility of doing something a little different down there. With the park and Old Stoney both pending as destinations for visitors and locals alike, Schommer wondered if it would be beneficial to add more parking.

This would be done by cutting into the curb as it sits right now to add more parking spots. The end point would be the big tree on the corner of the block near Old Stoney.

It turned out that the city granted permission for such a change a few years ago, according to Mayor Paul Brooks, but the idea fell by the wayside. The agreement was for the city to allow it, he clarified, but the city would not have funding available to contribute.

With the council appearing to be on board, Schommer stated that he had wanted to approach the council for its thoughts and will bring more detailed plans to a future meeting.

Meanwhile, Public Works Director Mac Erickson reported that the Sundance Square project is coming along and everyone involved is anxious to move forward. A couple of obstacles have been encountered so far, but nothing major.

Two change orders were presented to the council for their consideration. Clerk-Treasurer Kathy Lenz explained that the first is associated with a prior city decision to order certain components itself in order to save money.

It has since been found, she said, that there would be no savings for the city to order furnishings to match the playground, such as tables and trashcans. This is therefore to be ordered via contractors Ainsworth Benning for a total of $26,882, which was approved by the council.

A similar change order is pending for restrooms, Lenz added. The city had planned to order a pre-made restroom, but Ainsworth Benning believes it can build one at a lower cost; however, as the design is now in progress and no costs have yet been finalized, the change order was not yet ready for council approval.

The second change order to receive council approval was for Norris Designs, the company responsible for designing the park. The change was for an additional $4800 for extra time spent on the design.