SEBASTIAN — Plans continue to move forward to enhance US 1 and improve three “presidential” streets in Sebastian’s downtown area. Work on US 1 could be wrapped in time for Thanksgiving, while it could be a year for the other streets.
The targeted presidential streets are Cleveland, Washington and Martin – all of which would have their base rebuilt and top repaved.
For Martin Street, that’s the only work that would be done. Cleveland and Washington, however, will also have drainage installed, better delineated parking, and other such improvements, including sidewalks.
“Those roadways are not in good shape,” planner Frank Watanabe told the Sebastian City Council.
The project is expected to cost about $300,000.
The streets are heavily pitted with potholes, which have been patched and patched again.
After the meeting, City Manager Al Minner said there is about six more months of planning that must be done for the presidential streets project. After that, the city would hold public workshops to get input from the businesses and residents along those three roads. Only then would the city be able to let the project out for bids.
Minner said it is his hope to have the work done before the end of 2012.
The reason for the extended planning time is due to the city’s desire to improve drainage on Cleveland and Washington. Currently, the properties along the roads must retain their water.
City planners would prefer to run drainage pipes to take the collected water out to the river. Doing so requires a St. John’s Water Management District Permit, which requires a model showing the piping would work.
Watanabe said there would be a “nutrient separating baffle box” that would scrub the water runoff before it is dumped in the river.
If the water district denied the permits for drainage, Watanabe said the city could use swales to collect water runoff along Cleveland and Washington, but it would not be ideal.
“We can make it work,” he said, adding that, for commercial streets, the standard is curb and gutter, not swales.
“I think this will work really well,” City Councilwoman Andrea Coy said of the project, adding that she was happy the planners had moved away from the originally proposed one-way street concept.
US 1’s on-street parking will receive a stamped treatment to better highlight available parking opportunities. The major thoroughfare through town would also get more landscaping and other treatments to beautify the stretch between Main Street and County Road 512.
Minner told the council that the Florida Department of Transportation has issued the needed permit in order for the city to move forward on its project and the scope of work has been let out to bid.
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency funds were going to fund the $300,000 project, but Minner has since changed his recommendation to using the city’s Discretionary Sales Tax funds.
Councilman Eugene Wolff questioned the use of the DST funds instead of CRA monies, noting that with such a small redevelopment area, there have been few opportunities to use those funds on such a project.
Minner explained that with the hit property values have taken due to the weakened economy, the CRA funds are not at a level to handle the project. With other allocations from CRA funds, Minner said DST would be the better way to go.
“The CRA monies are tapping out,” he said, later adding that they are “showing too much stress.”
Once the project is completed, the Florida Department of Transportation has said it would perform another speed study along US 1 to determine lowering the speed limit from 40 mph to 35 mph.
The city has been trying to get FDOT to lower the speed as a way to improve driver safety as well as help drivers see the businesses they pass while driving through town.
Minner said after the meeting that when he sits down with prospective contractors, he will encourage them to agree to a 60-day construction timeframe. If agreeable, and if no unforeseen events occur to hold up work, Minner said US 1 could be done by Thanksgiving.
