Emily Featherston
The low bid for sidewalks to be installed on Mountain View Drive came in right at the anticipated budget amount, said Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes.
The low bidder, Triple J Construction, sent in a $370,000 bid for the project, with that bid being introduced at the Aug. 10 City Council meeting.
The project will see about 3,000 feet of sidewalk constructed from Vestavia Hills Elementary East to the intersection of Vesclub Way and Lexington Road. The bid will be voted on by the Council at a meeting in September, Downes said in his report to the Council. The project is anticipated to be completed by late March 2021, and is part of citywide efforts to add more sidewalks throughout Vestavia.
The pedestrian bridge connecting the Wald Park area and the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest was also discussed, with the Council passing a supplemental agreement with Gresham Smith and Partners for additional design work on the long-awaited project. The agreement will pay the company an additional $35,458 for the work, bringing the total contract sum given to the company to just more than $530,000.
The project, which has been in the works for more than a decade, is expected to go to bid this November, with a notice to proceed typically given 30 days after the bid is accepted by the Council.
In July 2018, the council authorized additional design work on the bridge after the Alabama Department of Transportation mandated the redesign in order to make the project ADA-compliant. Downes previously said that the bridge was originally designed with a ramp in mind but must now have an elevator. The bridge will connect the two entities and add more walkability to the city. The bridge will also be designed so no one can fall off of it or throw anything off of it, Vestavia Hills Police Chief Dan Rary previously said.
Four people, Joe Ellis, David Giddens, Chris Pugh and Rip Weaver, were reappointed to the city’s Design Review Board after some discussion.
Mayor Ashley Curry nominated the men, and said in his tenure, no one has applied for the committee. Council member George Pierce said the city should do more to advertise openings and make sure residents are aware of the opportunity to serve.
The Council also approved a resolution that will see the city accept $40,000 from Jefferson County to help pave Acton Drive and Acton Place, and also approved an amendment to the city’s small-cell technology ordinance. No substantive changes were made to the ordinance, Downes said, but it simply clarifies that the city’s regulations do not impact the services offered by Alabama Power.
In other business, the Council:
- Approved a resolution that appointed poll workers for the municipal election on Aug. 25.
- Approved a resolution allowing Downes to execute and deliver an agreement for an electrical easement at the new Vestavia Hills Community Center, located at the former Gold’s Gym property.
- Introduced an ordinance approving a conditional use for a home occupation for the property located at 4129 Vestview Drive; the property is owned by Timothy Boyne.
