By Michael Eng | Managing Editor
City commissioners approved Monday a contract worth up to $2.3 million to repair roads throughout Plant City in 2013.
The city will contract with Odessa-based Ajax Paving Industries Inc., which likely will begin work in January, City Manager Greg Horwedel said. Work will continue through February and stop during the Florida Strawberry Festival. If more work is required, it will resume following the festival but should be complete before the rainy summer season.
“You’ll see a dramatic difference once the work is done,” he said.
During City Engineer Brett Gocka’s presentation at the Nov. 26 commission meeting, he outlined what his team identified as the roads in most need of repair. Of those roads, about 6.49 miles were deemed top priorities and will be repaired first. An additional 1.71 miles will be repaired if funding allows, and .56 miles on Gordon Food Service Drive will be repaired using a State Economic Development Transportation Fund Grant.
Gocka said every road in Plant City’s 156-mile network was evaluated based on a number of criteria, including observable condition, customer complaints, crash data and more.
Many of the roads garnering top-priority are located within Walden Lake East. Some roads in Walden Lake Golf and Country Club — including Bridle Drive, Horseshoe Drive, Hitching Post Place, Hammock Drive, Laurel Oak Drive and Wedgewood Drive — as well as several roads in Pinedale also will be repaired.
Maki Road, along Plant City High School’s eastern side, is one of the most utilized roads receiving repairs this year.
Gocka likened the road work to opening a wall of a historic home, because problems on the surface may only be a small portion of the actual deficiencies.
The top-priority roads all exhibit significant and widespread cracking; however, that cracking may be caused by larger drainage and stormwater problems that also need repair. The cost of a road repair is about $130,000 per mile, but that number can jump to as much as $400,000 per mile if a road needs to be rebuilt completely.
If Ajax is able to complete all of the city’s top-priority projects under budget, it then will move onto additional roads identified through Gocka’s research. Those include more in Walden Lake East, including Redbud Circle, West Redbud Street, Sprucewood Lane and more.
The approved contract satisfies a 2008 directive from the city commission that requires city planners to budget at least $1 million each year for road repairs.
Overall, city commissioners said they were satisfied with Gocka’s report and the plan for 2013.
“This was heck of a hard job, and I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Mayor Mike Sparkman said.
Contact Michael Eng at meng@plantcityobserver.com.
IN OTHER NEWS
• Commissioners approved a resolution designating the Lincoln Park Brownfield area for rehabilitation and economic redevelopment.
• The commission hosted the first of two public hearings establishing a temporary moratorium on Internet cafés. Commissioners also amended the moratorium to stipulate that the three existing Plant City cafés cannot expand operations.
• Commissioners approved a resolution to discourage the marketing and sale of tobacco products to minors.
• Mayor Mike Sparkman asked commissioners to consider changing an ordinance regarding solicitations. Sparkman said a magazine salesperson came to his door after sunset recently. Currently, the ordinance allows solicitors until 9 p.m.
“It’s midnight dark at 9 p.m.,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of some of our vulnerable people going to the door.”
Sparkman suggested ending solicitations 30 minutes before sunset.
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