Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-29-1997 Meeting I I I SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING RIVERLOOK DRIVE COMMITTEE ROOM - May 29, 1997 5:00 p.m. PRESENT: J. Brigham, Chairman; J. Wall, Attorney; D. Goins, Engineering Department; Mike Green, Public Works; Jim Parkerson and Lynn McDonald, Residents; Glenn Coyn, Executive Director Canal Authority; Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission. ALSO PRESENT: George Eskola, WJBF. Mr. J. Brigham: Basically, what I think we are here for is to review what we can do about Riverlook and the gate at Riverlook and the fence line and the pedestrian gate. Basically, I want ideas. I have talked to Mr. Goins, and I'll let him explain what we talked about first and see how things fit in with time tables and master plans. Mr. Goins: Basically, what we had talked about was accelerating the implementation of the concept of the parking area at Eisenhower Field. That is a part of the Canal Master Plan Bike Path, that is in Phase II. We are initiating Phase I of the Bike Path, which is the trails and other elements, but the parking area was in Phase II of the Bike Path. (showing a plan) To give you a point of reference, this is the end of Riverlook Drive here. The Eisenhower Park is on the north side of the railroad track from the Riverlook Drive. I sketched on here a plan to put in approximately 150 parking spaces. What's shown in yellow is to be asphalt paved, to this point for vehicular traffic to the second parking lot, there will be an additional paved path, meandering along the railroad right-of-way going under the over pass on the north side of the railroad track and eventually ending at the foot bridge that is over the existing broad water pipes and then on over into the pump station. This would be a pedestrian access only. I have some cost figures associated with this proposal (passing out copy of figures) Basically, the paving.is $21,250.00, signage is $250.00, annual lighting, we are proposing to put in some lighting in this area, as an estimated cost of $1200.00, trees are $3,000.00, and the bridge running is approximately $5,000.00. We will have to do some hand railing along the bridge. We are recommending that we do the work with County forces. Mr. Brigham: Do you have any estimated dates when this can be done? Mr. Goins: grading. We can get started almost immediately on the Mr. Greene: We can do the grading anytime, once they approve the funding. Mr. Brigham: Do we have a potential funding source for this? Mr. Goins: That's something I'm hoping that the Canal Authority can help us on. I know we haven't talked to Mr. Fox about this, but since this is a part of the Master Plan and I thought that a possible funding source might be the Canal Authority. We do I have the $1 million dollars set up in the SPLOST money, but that is 1998 and 1999. If we wanted to spend this amount of money this year, that would either have to be reprogrammed or borrowed from the Canal Authority, you can answer that better than me, as being the chairman of the Finance Committee. Mr. Brigham: What is situation on money, Ted? Mr. Fox: I situation on money right now is that we have a tentative commitment for all of our assets to buy the Old Stone Mill. However, we have been holding back and saving back for that. And that will deplete us pretty well. And of course, we have been expending some minor things, we've paid for cleaning out the gates so we could make the Canal flow and little things like that. But our biggest expense that we have coming is the purchase of that Stone Mill. Mr. Brigham: Do you anticipate that taking place in the next few years? Mr. Fox: I'm hoping it will take place next month, but I've been hoping that since last November, the progress has not been what we had hoped it would be. However, I do feel that this project is a part of the Canal Master plan Projects and we do have Sales Tax money in 1998 and 1999 that is presently uncommitteQ to any I particular project. Mr. Brigham: I certainly hope we don't have to wait until 1998 to fund this, that was my concern. Mr. Fox: There are some other concerns that I've had that Drew can answer. It's been my understanding that this area is lease to the Little League and I did not know whether they had been approached to give us free access to it. Mr. Goins: They have been approached and they are agreeable with the assumption that this would be a joint use parking area. I've showed this plan, a working model of this plan and they are agreeable with it. Their major concern is the introduction of additional people down there and possible vandalism. And they have been told that the gate that's proposed here and their security gate here would be opened only during park hours, which are daylight to dark. Mr. Fox: The same as our gates on Goodard Street. Mr. Goins: That's correct. And they are looking for a commitment from someone possibly, personnel at the Raw Water Pumping Station to monitor that gate and open and close that gate, which they do the other gate as well. Is that now correct Mr. Fox. I I I I Mr. Fox: I don't know who does it.. I think Water Works does it because they use it for access to come and go to work. That's right at the Eve Street bridge. From a vandalism standpoint, of course, there are problems there just as there are here and just as they will be here, we just have to be constantly at tenti ve to maintaining or keeping a look out on our gates. We have had some problems with people driving aro~nd the gates on Goodrich Street. Mr. Goins: During the baseball season, they are there and will be attentive to the gate at that point and time, but it's during the off season that they are concerned with their investment being left open to vandalism. And they expressed a concern that someone would be attentive of the gate during their off seasons. Mr. quickly, problems Fox: I've I see From the standpoint of getting gone out and taken a look at the of things being done quickly are: something done area and the 1. We need a good brushing job, the under brush needs to be cut. 2. And really I do believe as far as Ms. McDonald is concerned, I think that we need to under brush the area around Riverlook as well, because I think a lot of the vandalism that she is having in her neighborhood is coming over the fence rather than through the gate. And I think that all that under brush is really serious, it's pretty hard walking through there. I think that if it was under brushed properly, there is already a rail on this bridge, not only that, the two large pipes flank the walk path, so that I believe it would be almost impossible for anyone to falloff of. The safety rail is important, but I don't think it would be required to get it opened to the public. There is a wash out at the end of the path that would have to be repaired, but it wouldn't take much to do that. And go ahead and put that into service even without the parking lot being finished. Mr. Brigham: I think the parking lot is a detour, because I think that's really where the problem of Riverlook is coming from because of what has been expressed to me, the traffic and the parking on Riverlook parking in front of the houses. Jim, do you have anything you think we need to talk about on this. Mr. Wall: No, but I should make you aware of the fact that somebody apparently called the Administrator's office and subsequently called my office and was coming down here wanting to know if this was a public meeting, and apparently is coming down to complain about the fact that we are proposing to lock the gate there at the end of the Riverlook. I don't have a name. I don't know whether or not they are aware of this other, I don't know, but I think you either need to have that gate open or closed. The only other comment I will make Mr. Fox is and I'm not sure that I understood about the under brush around that fence, but clearing it out is going to make it easier for them to get there to jump over that fence, I'm not sure you want to clear out around there. Mr. Greene: I've already looked at it and you can drive under the bridge now, it's tight but you can drive through there, I've I taken my own personal car and driven as far as you can up to the Canal and then I got cut walked on across the railing. But the biggest under brush, I don't think is a big problem, sure it can be cleaned up a little bit, you can get through, but it's difficult to get through just to even walk over there. And even if you opened this up now and don't do the parking lots, I think that you are defeating your purpose, because people will park everywhere in the world up there. There is no defined parking area right now. Mr. Brigham: How soon can we do the parking lots and give me some recommendations for funding sources. Mr. Goins: Is there a way that we can borrow against future funds, on the SPLOST money? Or can we reprogram a portion of the SPLOST money from 1998 back to 1997 for this project. Mr. Brigham: I'll have to look at it and see, I'm not prepared to answer. Mr. Fox: Now we do have ISTEA Funding already for the bike trail, but it's suppose to be per an approved plan and we don't have the approved plan in hand. Mr. Brigham: Is this parking part of the approved plan? I Mr. Goins: This is Phase II of the approved plan and we only have Phase I funded at this point and time. Mr. Brigham: What do we have to do to get ISTEA Funding for Phase II? Mr. Goins: Do a re-submittal. The bike plan is approved in concept, Phase I is funded to the tune of $800,000.00, but this is Phase II of the bike plan. Mr. Brigham: How quick can we submit Phase II? Mr. Goins: Well, that last plan was submitted in 1992, I believe, and this is 1997, if that gives you any indication. Mr. Greene: ISTEA is about to change in September or October and you can't really depend on that. If you want to precede with this, your best option is to try and find the funding now. I don't know about the old City and their SPLOST and we are still separate as far as funding on the SPLOST. Were there any funds undesignated left from the old City? Mr. Goins: We can do that, and my suggestion was, if we can use un-designated funds in 1997 and recoup them in 1999. Mr. Brigham: That maybe possible. I I .1 1 Mr. Fox: What's the status of PHASE I? Mr. Goins: There is a Engineering Services, although recommending the Engineering on received approval from the DOT t9 letter that was presented to it didn't make the agenda, Phase I. And we only recently proceed with the Engineering. Mr. Brigham: Is it possible that we can share cost with the Canal Authority on this, Mr. Fox, somewhere along the way? Mr. Fox: I would say that it would be possible, I would have to get approval of the Authority, however, I would lean toward it. I think it's very important, and the Authority members think it's very important, so I would certainly say that we would be in for a share. Mr. Brigham: Let's do this then, I get through looking for a recommendation, and I think what the recommendation is that we recommend that the Commission authorize us the Attorney to make the lease adjustment to West Augusta Little League to get the property squared away to start with. Once that's done, I think we have to designate funding and come up with a timetable that we can do this project here. I would like for that project to be completed this summer and when that project is completed we'll go about changing the signage along Eisenhower Drive directing all the traffic that wants to go to the Canal to Eisenhower Park. Mr. Greene: This is on the railroad and all, none of it is encroached on them enough to where it would impact the railroad, it is on their right-of-way, is it not? Mr. Goins: A portion is encroaching on the railroad right-of- way. If they do not allow that encroachment, we will have to do some additional paving up the slop enbankment up under the bridge and there will be an additional cost that I did not show here today. And I do have a call into the railroad about this, however I haven't been able to make contact yet. Mr. Brigham: Do you have any idea of what contingency we are talking about, a couple thousand dollars. Mr. Goins: We can probably handle it within that range, I'll say no more than $3,000.00. Mr. Brigham: Do you think we can have this done by July 1? Mr. Greene: approved by then. say September 1, else worked out. No sir, because you won't have everything We can't do it in thirty days. I would rather depending on the funding and getting everything Mr. Brigham: So what we'll end up telling these people is that we won't have any relief for them for this summer. Ms. McDonald: Don't tell us that. You're saying you can't close the gate until this is done. Mr. Brigham: What I'm saying is that I'm not going to change the operation of the gate until this is done, because othe~ise I've closed off all access to the public to the Canal. Unless the attorney tells me otherwise. Mr. Wall: The question I had a minute ago, at one point there was discussion about rather than immediately paving those two lots was to come in there with crush and run or gravel and with that speed it up. If we went in there and did that and you're changing the cost figures, I assume pretty substantially. Does that help speed it up or would it be the same process. Mr. Greene: That would speed it up some, but it's not a whole lot, it would do it quicker but with crush run the cost is not that much less than asphalt. Mr. Goins: That's exactly right, you'll be throwing money away by putting crush run out there... Mr. Brigham: If we do the grading work and 'not pave it until this fall, how quick can we do the grading work and get it where its just a dirt lot or are you advising me not to do that? Mr. Greene: If we go up there and just do grading, set our grade stations so the water will flow. Just to grade it, you still won't have it up to elevation, you'll still have to come back later on and put your base down. You'll have a dirt parking lot. We can do it, but I don't recommend that. I would recommend that once you go in there with your equipment, you do everything you have to do right then and get out. This work will be done in the day time so there should be no problem with our equipment being in the way. Ms. McDonald: My question is, if we can have the signs on our street changed for our protection, with people parking and hanging around our neighborhood, then we wouldn't have a problem with them waiting until September, and we are requesting that the signs be changed anyway, because the way the signs are, the Sheriff's Department has told us that we have no legal rights as residents, the public is the one with the right to park any where they want to on these streets after six O'clock at night and one hour parking during the day, so I mean we are protected in no way from the signs that are on our street, they said that we need to recommend that the signs be changed to protect us. Mr. Brigham: I don't think I can take a public street and say that it's residential parking only. Ms. McDonald: But, it's really not a public street, I mean it's a county maintained street. Mr. Brigham: No, it's a public street. I I I I I 1 Ms. McDonald: It's a residence, it's a neighborhood. Mr. Parkerson: The signs have already been changed. to say "One Hour Parking" now they say "Tow Away Zone". sign in a front yard that says "Tow Away Zone". They use I saw a Ms. McDonald: Those are signs that we put up to try and keep people from parking right in front of our house, which has not helped at all. Mr. Parkerson: Is it a done deal that Riverlook will be blocked off, that it won't be an access road. Mr. Brigham: Eventually. Mr. Parkerson: I don't understand why you don't move the gate on the other side of the wooden bridge, why you don't move that back and allow people to drive through and park where they are already parking and have that locked at night just like they lock the other gates. Ms. McDonald: Great, then everybody can hang around and drink up there all night. We already have a problem with that. Just because it closes, doesn't mean anything, the gate is locked now too, but that doesn't matter, we still have people in and out all day long. Mr. Fox: What he says would be possible except, I understand that that bridge has been taken out of regular service for traffic. We were told that years ago that we were not permitted to drive across it, I don't know if it was DOT or who. Drew is that bridge closed? Mr. Goins: That bridge is not for public use. Mr. Brigham: I am not going to close the Canal to the public. I'm trying to do what you asked me to do. But I have to make a way for this to take place before I can do that. As soon as I can get the parking in, that gate will be permanently closed. There will be signage on the double swing gates that will say "Authorized Vehicles Only". We will basically, be closing up the gate on Riverlook, that's what we are trying to do. I'm trying to get the traffic going to the Canal out of the neighborhood and send them to the park. But I'm trying to do it for everybody, instead of giving people keys, that bothers me. After further discussion; Mr. Brigham: We want to design this so that everybody will go through Eisenhower Park. That's what's on the table, that's what the design is. Basically, what I'm saying is that I'm not going to change the situation unless I'm told that I have to at the gate right now, until I get this done, and when I get this done I'm going to shut the gate off. Hopefully, that will be done this summer. After further discussion; Mr. Greene: You're going to take this to the Committee and then to the full Commission. Once the full Commission approves this, we can go ahead and start the grading, regardless of any funding. I can do the cleaning with just routine labor and maintenance cost. Then the only question will be the funding for the rest of it. Ms. McDonald: Are you going to try and do anything about the signs once you get all this done? Mr. Brigham: What I talked to Mr. Goins about on the signs is, once we get this in, we'll change the signs on it, we'll change all the signs on Eisenhower Drive directing people of no more access to the canal or the park. We'll take the signs out of Castlewood Drive and Overlook Drive, we won't have any signs in there. Mr. Coyn: Everything sounds good to me. The ISTEA situation was the only thing I thought of. Mr. Brigham: Will you all match some of that ISTEA money. Mr. Goins: There is a Match Bill 10, and that match is anticipated to come from the million dollars that was set up in the SPLOST money. If we can work out with the uncommitted funds for 1997 with anticipation that the money will be reimbursed in 1998. Mr. Brigham: Can you all live with my recommendation? All participants agree with the recommendation. With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned. Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission .,. bjb I I I