Title
Resolution No. 1 - Prepare Plans and Specifications for the Proposed Scio Church Resurfacing Project’s Sidewalk Gap Portion- Special Assessment (District #58), and Appropriate $20,000.00 from the General Fund Balance for the Design of the Project’s New Sidewalk (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
Approval of the attached resolution directs staff to prepare plans, specifications, and cost estimates to fill sidewalk gaps along the north side of Scio Church Road from 1740 Scio Church to 1780 Scio Church as a special assessment project.
Scio Church Road currently has four parcels with sidewalk gaps between South Maple and South Seventh. One parcel (between Greenview and Seventh) belongs to Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS), and staff will work with them directly to explore the potential addition of a sidewalk along that parcel at AAPS’s cost.
In accordance with the City’s Non-Motorized Plan (the north side of Scio Church between Landmark Court and Seventh Street in listed as a “near-term opportunity”) and Complete Streets approach, it is proposed to install a new sidewalk to fill these gaps and provide continuous pedestrian connections at these locations. The construction of the sidewalk will also likely require the removal of some trees, necessitate temporary grading permits, and possibly require the relocation of DTE utility poles. The extent of any of these requirements to install sidewalk is not fully determined at this time and will be further explored during the engineering design and public engagement phase of the project.
The scope of the overall Scio Church Road Improvements Project also includes:
• Resurfacing of Scio Church between S. Maple Road and S. Seventh Street;
• Water service transfers and redundant water main abandonment between Covington Drive and Welch Court;
• Adding bike lanes;
• Adding crosswalks.
The City Code provides that the cost for first time sidewalk infrastructure be borne by the parcels that benefit from it. A preliminary planning-level cost estimate performed by City staff estimates the cost of the sidewalk portion of this project to be approximately $100,000.00. Because this is a federal-aid project, up to 80% of the construction cost of the sidewalk would be paid by federal Surface Transportation Funds. The remainder of the costs would be local share. The attached resolution directs staff to provide and share detailed cost estimates for this work, and establish the composition of the special assessment district.
If authorized to undertake this work, staff will reach out to affected residents and stakeholders to conduct a thorough public engagement effort. Following those meetings and further development of the engineering design, staff will return to Council with Resolutions 2 and 3, which define the individual costs to each parcel and establish a Public Hearing Date.
Below is a tentative schedule for the project:
November 18, 2019: Council Meeting - Resolution 1
January 2020: Public Meeting/Workshop about Project
January 2020: Presentation to Transportation Commission
February 2020: Administrative Hearing Meeting for sidewalk assessments
May 2020: Council Meeting - Resolution 2
August 2020: Resolution 3
September 2020: Public Hearing & Resolution 4
January 2021: Bid Opening
April/May 2021: Begin construction
Budget Impact: This project is scheduled to receive Federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) Funding, which typically pays for up to 80% of the construction cost of the project. In addition to special assessments, the local share of the project will be funded by the Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage Fund. The various components of the Scio Church Improvements Project are included in the 2020-2025 Capital Improvements Plan (Project Numbers TR_SC-18-06 & UT-WS-18-55).
As called for in Chapter 13 of City Code, the addition of sidewalk will ultimately be paid partially through special assessment. The City must fund the cost of designing and constructing the project until the assessed amounts are recovered. The attached resolution appropriates $20,000.00 from the General Fund fund balance to fund the design and public engagement for this portion of the project. Should the project advance to the construction phase, an additional appropriation from the General Fund will be sought. The non-assessable portions of the work would be paid for from the Street, Bridge, and Sidewalk Millage.
Staff
Prepared by: Nicholas Hutchinson, P.E., City Engineer
Reviewed by: Craig Hupy, Public Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Howard S. Lazarus, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Council deems it appropriate to construct new sidewalks as part of the Scio Church Improvements Project, which will consist of:
The installation of new sidewalk in places where it does not currently exist on the north side of Scio Church Road from 1740 to 1780 Scio Church Road;
RESOLVED, The City Administrator be directed to prepare plans and specifications for said improvement project, and an estimate of the cost thereof;
RESOLVED, City Council appropriates $20,000.00 from the General Fund fund balance to be transferred to the existing Street Millage Fund Scio Church Improvements Project; thereby increasing the project revenue and expenditure budgets, for purposing of funding the design and public engagement for the sidewalk of the said project;
RESOLVED, The City Administrator be directed to file a report of same with the City Clerk, including a recommendation as to what proportion of the cost should be paid by special assessment and what part, if any, should be a general obligation of the City, the number of installments in which the assessments may be paid, and the land which should be included in the special assessment district; and
RESOLVED, The City Clerk shall present said report to the Council and make it available for public examination.