[ back ]
Briar Hill dam among city's 2011 projects
(by Sue Reid - January 12, 2011)
Briar Hill dam among city's 2011 projects
By SUE REID
Three major infrastructure projects that are due to get under way this spring and summer top the list for the new year in Solon. They amount to about $3.3 million, according to engineer's estimates.
The projects include the Briar Hill Lake dam rehabilitation, the reconstruction of the Carter Street and Cochran Road intersection and the reconstruction of Kingswood Drive off of Arthur Road.
With regards to Briar Hill, city Engineer John J. Busch said, the city recently addressed construction-plan modifications that affected the lease agreement with the Briar Hill Homeowners Association. The city also received the go-ahead for formal approval to purchase the actual temporary easements and private property needed for the project, he said.
"That had already been outlined and approved through the lease agreement, but we felt it was best to have the actual property purchases approved separately so there was no question about it," Mr. Busch said. The majority of the property acquisitions are temporary easements primarily for grading, he said.
The construction of the project is expected to begin in late spring or early summer, Mr. Busch said. Tree clearing must be completed and is set for the end of March to be in compliance with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit.
"We'll move forward based on the bids that we get with the project," he said.
The engineer's estimate for construction is about $1 million. The city will pay for the project upfront, and the homeowners association will reimburse the city through assessments up to $500,000.
"It's a final step as a result of storm-water modeling we had done in 2004 in the Sherbrook area," Mr. Busch said of the project. "Based on those models, we had shown that we needed that storm-water management. This will be a nice addition to our overall citywide storm-water-management plan to have this included."
The intent is for the project to be complete in one construction season, he said.
The main purpose of the reconstruction of the Carter Street and Cochran Road intersection is to provide left-turn lanes along Cochran Road. Left-turn lanes are currently in place there, but they are shared with through lanes, he said.
"Currently, these are all set," Mr. Busch said. "As a result, that affects the overall operation of the intersection." The engineer's estimate of the project is about $1.8 million. The city has some Ohio Public Works Commission grant money, amounting to $328,740, and there is also money from the Cuyahoga County Engineer's Office of about $250,000 being contributed to the project. The city will pay the remainder.
"We're finishing up our property-acquisition phase now and will be ready to go," Mr. Busch said. The hope is to begin construction in the spring.
The third project is the reconstruction of Kingswood Drive off of Arthur Road in Ward 7.
"Above and beyond our annual maintenance and street programs, we've been doing stand-alone road-rehabilitation projects each year for the last five years," Mr. Busch said.
Prior streets done through the program are North and South Burr Oak drives, Ada Drive, Cottesmore Lane and Cottesmore Place. Independence Court and Trails End also were done.
Kingswood Drive work will include complete replacement of the concrete street with asphalt. There also will be concrete curbs and gutters, which is the city's current residential standard. The engineer's estimate for the project is about $500,000 and will be paid for by the city.
"The goal is ultimately to keep up with our road repair and maintenance," Mr. Busch said of the individual street program. "When I proposed to do this program, based on the amount of money we were spending on annuals, I didn't think we were able to keep up the maintenance of the streets. It's really helped us with our ability to do that."
Construction on Kingswood Drive will begin this summer. Since it is in a residential zone, Mr. Busch said, a meeting for residents will be held before work begins.
The city also has proposed to do the same annual programs as last year, Mr. Busch said.
The only other project the city may consider, Mr. Busch said, would be in the allotment area on Linden Drive and Parkway Drive, referred to as the "ABC" streets.
Those would be full street rehabilitations, including utility replacement.
"This would wrap up the city's commitment to reconstructing several of these streets," Mr. Busch said. "We've done lots of projects in allotment areas over the last several years."
The city had applied for this project through the Ohio Public Works Commission for funding and is on a contingency list for grant money, Mr. Busch said.
[ back ]
