City focuses on Westside development
Elm Street done and everyday business continues    

[SEPT. 14, 2005]  LINCOLN -- Lincoln City Council’s Tuesday evening workshop discussions covered a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Most prevalent were actions that will keep west side commercial development in movement for planned and anticipated business developments.

Wal-Mart Supercenter will present their final plat to the Lincoln Planning Commission this Thursday evening. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in City Hall Chambers.

The plat shows the development being to the built on 43 plus acres off Illinois Rt. 10. The drive to the west of Burger King supplies the east border of the property and will be named Malerich Dr. Access to the west side will be via Stuart Dr. and the northern border road between those drives will be Herndon Dr.

The consulting engineers for the project are Crawford, Tilly and Murphy of Springfield.

Other associated ventures to prepare the area were also discussed. Alderman Buzz Busby announced that two bids were received to do a water drainage study of the west side. Green and Bradford bid $25,000 and Donohue bid $38,800. It was believed that Green and Bradford had the lesser bid was because they have done extensive engineering all around and in the area to be assessed.

It is an extensive area that stretches from Fifth Street Road to Woodlawn Road and from Lincoln Parkway to I-55.

The study will evaluate existing drainage and the impact of commercial developments, including Wal-Mart. City engineer Mark Mathon said that the study might help determine a regional branch and a couple of retention areas that would avoid taking up too much of the land area.

Nothing being done?

City aldermen say they often hear comments that nothing is being done about some of the rundown properties around town that are detractions. Alderman Jonie Tibbs called on Less Last, the city building and codes inspector, to provide a report of recent activities.

Last said that he has issued eight demolition notices this year. One of those was for the old clothing factory on Chicago St. “Fire took care of demolition of that,” he said. Another was for the former Mill restaurant on Washington Street. The owner says he can’t get it done in the sixty day’s that he’s been given which began on Aug. 4th. He says he needs an additional 120 to 180 days. Last said he isn’t sure what will be done about that yet.

Chemical donation

The city is looking into donating its leftover mosquito and larvicide’s chemicals to Louisiana, where it is greatly needed to treat abundant quantities of stagnant floodwaters left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. There is an excess of chemicals leftover due to the dry year and they breakdown with time.

Elm Street Renovation Completed

Alderman Benny Huskins said that he has heard from some residents of the newly renovated Elm Street, particularly between Fourth and Fifth Streets, and they are requesting to asphalt be laid in their neighborhood. They say the tar of the new street gets on shoes and can be tracked into their homes or businesses.

It often takes two to three years for a new oil and chip road to settle.

Mayor Beth Davis said, “If we do that block they we would have to do the next block and the next block and the next block.”

Alderman Neitzel asked, “How much longer before we put something on that?”

Mayor Davis responded, “That’s it.”

The road was originally planned to be asphalt but was bid out for both seal coat and chip and asphalt. The asphalt prices that came in were too high to be able to do other projects that were also scheduled this year, the Broadway overlay and erosion control shoring around the Brainard’s Branch bridges, Mathon explained.

The option clarifying the choice was some how missed by the aldermen and mayor when the project bid was approved.

Responses varied. Finance chairman Verl Prather said, “If you’re doing a project of this magnitude you might as well spend a little more money and get asphalt. It last longer.” He said that if you look at the examples around town you could see the difference. Asphalt on Palmer Street has lasted 20 years. Where as chip and seal has to be done on Monroe Street about every three years.

“We’re going to live with it now,” he said.

Less Plotner said he lives in Mayfair and they get chip and oil and have to deal with the same problem. What’s the difference between Mayfair and Elm Street?

Both streets are residential beyond the first corner.

Huskins said that it is city policy that all major streets are done in asphalt.

City performed sidewalk repair and replacement fund gone dry

Citizens wishing to have their sidewalks replaced or repaired by the city may be out of luck for the remainder of this year. Even though that fund was doubled for this year, like last year it has run out early. Only hazardous walks will be considered. Not until the next fiscal year that begins May 1, 2006 will there be money in that fund again.

However, property owners may make sidewalk petitions for approval where they will be responsible to get the work done, pay for it themselves and then be reimbursed. The reimbursement fund still has money in it, Prather said.

[Jan Youngquist]

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