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Bridge overhaul has $1 million price tag
(by Sue Reid - October 17, 2012)
Bridge overhaul has $1 million price tag
By SUE REID
To further the goals of the city’s master plan, initial steps are being taken to complete and to beatify Solon’s town center.
Those steps come with a hefty price tag, amounting to about $1 million based on cost estimates associated with electronic message boards on the SOM Center Road (Route 91) bridge and community signs at the city’s main thoroughfares. Mayor Susan A. Drucker recommended a phased approach to help control costs to City Council’s safety and public properties committee last week.
The mayor asked the committee for its consideration of the electronic message boards and the community signs and suggested forwarding the cost estimates to the finance committee for budget hearing purposes. The committee approved the request and forwarded the recommendation.
“This will complete the town center master plan for the Bainbridge/SOM intersection,” Mrs. Drucker said of a recommendation that the railroad bridge and retaining walls be re-facaded using a design and materials consistent with the Solon Center for the Arts, the Veterans Memorial Park and Fire Station No. 2.
The plan also recommends that electronic message boards be on the north and south elevations of the railroad bridge. The message boards would not be directly connected to the bridge, but would project possibly 4 feet off of the bridge.
These improvement plans to the bridge, which is owned by the Norfolk-Southern Railroad, initially began with the desire to eliminate the amount of banners that have been various dimensions and posed a safety issue for motorists trying to read them, Mrs. Drucker noted.
Estimated costs are about $677,000 for the bridge re-façade, $173,000 for the retaining wall façade and $100,000 for the two electronic message boards for a $950,000 total. Mrs. Drucker will ask City Council for its consideration in completing the project in phases.
“I know it’s a shocking price tag,” she said, “but maybe phasing the project would be beneficial” and allow residents to see progress on improvements to the town center.
Costs associated with the community signs, to be located at the north and south end of SOM Center and at the east and west ends of Aurora Road (Route 43), are $15,000 each for a total of $60,000. The signs would have a brick base and supports and would be ground lighted. They would be about 5 feet high and 10 foot wide and designed to accommodate 10 organizations and or commemorations.
Mrs. Drucker said she had desired a simpler type of design and could come back to the committee with more drawings. Councilman William I. Russo agreed, adding that the signs may be too elaborate in design for the areas suggested.
“Some may be out of character with the area,” Mr. Russo said, especially coming east from Aurora Road. “We can revisit those locations.”
While Mr. Russo said the cost is a “shock,” the city is moving in the right direction in regard to beautification.
Mrs. Drucker also told the committee that she, along with City Planning Director Robert S. Frankland and the city’s architect consultant, Fred Margulies, met recently with railroad representatives, who seemed interested in the project. She noted that the railroad’s approval is necessary, but that the city would cover the cost.
“If we waited for the railroad to do it,” she said of improvements to the bridge, “it would never happen.”
The railroad indicated that it’s a lengthy process on its end to receive approval from the administration and that it could take up to two months. Mrs. Drucker asked that if the project is met with disapproval, the railroad provide other suggestions.
“We sent the message across that we want to beautify the area,” she said of her meeting with the railroad. “We have a gap in the city” with the new Solon Village development on the corner, “and we need to tie this all in.”
Committee members agreed.
“The whole idea is to beautify this area,” Councilman Edward H. Kraus said, adding that residents have complained about the look of the bridge for a long time. Improvements will be a “welcome addition.”
The timing is perfect to address this, Councilman Richard A. Bell said, with redevelopment nearby and especially is important in light of the safety issue of the banners on the bridge.
“We finally have a redevelopment at that corner,” Mr. Russo said. “This will be in keeping with that.”
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