By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
The bid awarded for reconstruction of Allen Street by Hays city commissioners Thursday night was nearly two million dollars under budget. Mayor James Meier was very pleased with the $2,386,808 low bid from Hays contractor Paul Wertenberger and pointed out the city will pay cash for the project.
“I think that it’s another example of why we should continue to have discussions about doing more of these projects now versus later because the bidding environment is very good just as it was last year as we discovered when we did 8th Street,” Meier said.
Allen is classified as a major collector street, carrying between 2,000 and 4,000 vehicles per day, according to Projects Manager John Braun. The reconstruction, between 8th and where it intersects with Vine Street at 24th, has been in the Capital Improvement Plan since 2011.
Commissioner Sandy Jacobs voted against the measure. She preferred the alternate bid, also from Paul Wertenberger, which would have included some brick paving for an additional $100,000.
“I spent a lot of time considering this and also read information from Strong Towns about streets and the aesthetics of neighborhoods,” Jacob told her fellow commissioners. “That’s a wonderful neighborhood down there. All of the streets that come up to Allen south of 13th Street are all brick. I would have liked to have seen that be the end spot.
“I certainly understand the $100,000 savings (by not using brick.) But after seeing 13th Street and wishing it had been brick, I’ll be voting no”.”
Commissioner Chris Dinkel disagreed about the aesthetics of using bricks. He drives the street every day and said he had “really thought about it this last week.”
“Part of it is 12th to 8th and you’re leaving a block off to 13th. You’re going from concrete to concrete. Also, having new brick for this small portion of the road would look really patched together,” Dinkel said. “If this was a discussion about brick all the way through or no brick at all, that would be one thing. But having this little section that’s kind of off in a residential area that’s not really part of the downtown district, I don’t think the aesthetics make sense. It would actually look odd.”
Work is scheduled to begin March 5th and be completed in November. The project includes new pavement and curb and gutter, replacement of most of the sidewalk with correction of any ADA (Americans with Disability Act) issues, and upgrade and replacement of the water main and water services north of 10th Street.