By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Hays city commissioners are expected to award a bid during their meeting Thursday night for reconstruction of Allen Street between 8th and where it intersects with Vine Street at 24th.
“It’s in dire need of repair,” according to Projects Manager John Braun, “and the improvements have been in the Capital Improvements Plan since 2011.” The design phase began in 2017.
Allen is classified as a major collector street, carrying between 2,000 and 4,000 vehicles per day within the proposed project area of 5,100 lineal feet. The existing pavement varies from brick at the south end, with asphalt in the center section, to concrete at the north end.
Four million dollars was budgeted for the project to be funded out of City Commission Reserves. An additional $500,000 is budgeted in Water Capital Reserves to replace the water main and water services. Stormwater Capital Reserve has budgeted $75,000 for storm sewer structure replacement.
The project was bid with a base bid to reconstruct the street entirely in concrete, and with an alternate to reconstruct the area between 8th and 12th, which is currently brick pavement, with new brick pavers.
Paul Wertenberger Construction of Hays had the lowest bids for both options, with both being lower than the estimates. The work includes replacing curb and gutter throughout, replacement of much of the sidewalk, and upgrade and replacement of the water main and water services north of 10th Street.
A public information meeting is planned for Feb. 12. Letters will be sent to those directly affected by the project. “Everybody has been contacted at least once and I’ve talked personally with most of them,” Brown told commissioners last week. This will give them another chance to meet with the contractor, the engineer, city staff, and ask questions about scheduling and access.” The two-lane road has parking on the west side only.
Brown said a couple of two block sections could be worked on at the same time, depending on how the waterline work proceeds. “The road could be shut off in two different places but you’ll be able to drive in between those. You won’t be able to drive the whole length.” The few houses that front Allen Street are on corner lots and also have access to side streets and alleys, according to Brown. “They may be inconvenienced but they’ll still have access.”
Work would begin in March and is scheduled to be completed in November.
During discussion at last week’s work session, commissioners were unable to agree on which alternate bid to select. City staff is recommending the entire road section be paved with concrete. Staff considers the use of brick pavers “aesthetic” with adjacent brick pavement on 9th, 11th and 12th Streets. However, the area is not in the historical Chestnut Street District which has brick streets. Concerns were also noted by staff about added construction time and cost of $100,000, added cost and effort to make street cuts/repairs in the future, and the the need to maintain a stockpile of the concrete bricks for future repair which are not the same clay-fired brick as those currently stockpiled for older projects.
Other agenda items include rezoning a portion of Ottley Addition from Agriculture (A-L) to Commercial General District (C-2) and approval of the Ottley First Addition Final Plat, which is comprised of three lots, two approximately 1.4 acres and the other lot approximately 3.1 acres with access off West 43rd St.
Ottley Addition preliminary plat, Ottley First Addition Final Plat and rezoning have been approved by the Planning Commission. The request for annexation of the final portions of Ottley Addition was approved by the city commission December 28, 2017. The actions are the next steps in development of the property which will be the site of a Hilton Garden Inn and convention center.
The complete meeting agenda may be seen here. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.