Thousands poured into Thomas Drive project

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Despite less than satisfactory efforts for water lines, sanitary, and underground utility replacement on Thomas Drive in the past, local officials dished out a further $60,000 to complete an unfinished storm catchment solution as part of the project.
In 2013, Northstar Trucking took on the reconstruction project of Thomas Drive that included replacement of water and sewer lines, new road base and surfacing, and installing new storm water infrastructure. Over a two-year period, a requirement allowing for the road to settle and for the observation for issues, council members and residents became progressively frustrated with pooling water and potholes. While council awarded the company a chance to rectify the issues, the reconstruction projected in 2013 included a large storm drainage pipe designed for crossing into the Western Irrigation District (WID) canal into Pond 2, a section of Gray’s Park.
According to the town’s engineering department, the crossing was not completed because of environmental issues and a lack of clearance with the bottom of the WID canal. Therefore a proposed larger line was to address the current system that was lacking adequate capacity for a 1:100 year storm event.
“It is in fact a storm catchment that we’re designing, the name of the bio swale was adopted back originally with the project until the design was finalized and determined that this is the proper route to go, not the traditional bio swale with trees and wetland area,” said Bryce Mackan, acting director of engineering. “This will be a storm catchment area that is grass and will be dry for most of the year and maintained by the parks. It will only contain water in large storm events and its purpose is to slow down the amount of water that reaches our pipe that runs into Pond 2.”
On March 2, the department approached council regarding necessary funds to install a linear storm retention feature, or a bio swale, and council awarded the project to the lowest bidder with the mandatory requirements.
Originally engineering services, construction, and a 10 per cent contingency accumulated to a total of $81,306. Last year, the town spent $7,250 for engineering services out of an approved $50,000 budget. The 2016 budget allocated $15,000 towards the project. As $9,050 are left for engineering services, $7,391 are required for the 10 per cent contingency, and Black Site Works was awarded the contact for $57,615, the project’s new funds required totalled $74,056 – $59,056 short in this year’s budget.
As a result, council was asked to consider awarding the Thomas Drive Bio-Swale construction – as the project was originally called – to Blackie Site Works for the $57,615, and dip into the Storm Offsite Levy Reserve and increase the budget by nearly $60,000.
However, during the regular council meeting on March 2, some local politicians discussed the location of the project, which will be constructed on the west side of Thomas Drive between the curb and the pathway to retain storm water and add protection from overland flow, and questioned the pipes that are now deemed obsolete yet were previously paid for by the town.
The construction of the storm water storage will include cleaning and grubbing, common excavation, waste excavation, topsoil stripping and stockpiling, sub-drain and culverts supply and installation, topsoil placement and grading, mechanical seeding, landscaped bed preservation and restoration, and adjustment of manholes. The six-week project has an expected completion date sometime in April.
Council unanimously approved the recommendation of awarding the contract to Blackie Site Works and increasing the 2016 budget to $74,056 on March 2.