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New library spurs action on ‘the project that never happens’
After years of being kicked down the road, work to improve portions of some of the worstrated roads in the City of Gunnison is set to begin this spring.
In the Palisades neighborhood, located in the northwest corner of the city, the streets have long gone without any improvements despite having severe potholes and storm drainage issues.
The neighborhood was slated for an overhaul — including road, curb and drainage improvements — in 2019. Efforts to secure affordable bids fell short after all estimates significantly exceeded projections, with some bids being as much as $1 million over the anticipated price tag.
Another round of bids were solicited in 2020 and successfully awarded, but the project was put on hold once more to cut costs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now, city leaders are aiming to begin rehabilitation to the streets in collaboration with construction for the newly envisioned Gunnison County Public Library to be located on the corner of 11th and Quartz Street.
Gunnison Mayor Jim Gelwicks said he was happy to see the street improvements get started, especially for “the project that never happens,” he joked.
According to city records, it’s been decades since any substantial road improvement projects have occurred in the subdivision. The degradation of roads in the area hasn’t escaped local residents, who hope to see a fix soon.
Improvements to the Palisades neighborhood include the removal of what’s known as a rolled “Hollywood” curb. The rolling curb will be replaced with a more traditional curb face better suited for snow removal in the winter months.
“When we plow now there’s really no guide for the plow blade,” said Public Works Director David Gardner. “Sometimes it’ll even end up in yards.”
There will also be a full-depth reclamation of the road to add asphalt with existing materials to compact and reshape the base of the road before the final asphalt is placed.
Another primary problem for the Palisades neighborhood has been the intersection where the new library is sited — the corner where Quartz, Spencer, North 11th Street and County Road 15 meet.
City staff has since coordinated with the library for the realigned intersection to provide a traditional four-way intersection with right angles. The intersection will also have reduced road widths and two crosswalk sections.
“There’s going to be a lot of new foot traffic from the schools to the library,” Gardner said. “We want to make sure we have a safe crossing for that, for kids especially.”
The Rural Transportation Authority (RTA) has also been in talks with city leaders as the project progresses to include a new bus stop on the RTA route. The bus stop would provide access to the new library, Gunnison Community School, Van Tuyl Trails, Charmar Park and the Palisades neighborhood. The proposed new stop is also already on-route with two previous bus stops in the area.
City Council member Mallory Logan said she was concerned about the future development of sidewalks in the neighborhood given the smaller lots and front yards.
Gardner said sidewalks in the right-of-way would be expensive, but he is looking into figures to be presented at a future date.
Public Works engineer Cody Tusing said there will be a public communications officer with weekly updates for schedules and notifications for impacted residents.
Bids for the work are anticipated to be received by city staff on April 6, and a recommendation of award will be made to Council on April 13, 2021 at its regularly scheduled council meeting.
(Kate Gienapp can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or kate@gunnisontimes.com.)
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March 18, 2021 at 03:49PM
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Street improvements coming to Palisades | Gunnison Times - Gunnison Country Times
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