- April 17, 2024
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The city’s downtown district will soon feature new decorative sidewalk banding, a $2 million project that the city plans will begin in early 2022.
At the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 5, commissioners voted 3-2 on the consent agenda item to move forward with a beige-colored concrete and coquina shell banding. Commissioners Dwight Selby and Rob Littleton voted against, as they favored Ormond MainStreet’s recommendation to go with an “Etruscan tile” colored concrete with coquina shells.
The commission also voted 4-1 to seek a final bid from A.M. Weigel Construction, with Selby voting against as he felt the high project cost meant the city should go out to bid. Planning Director Steven Spraker said that going with A.M. Weigel would reduce construction time, and that the city was sure they would do the job well.
A final unanimous vote also directed staff to add decorative concrete banding where pavers currently exist along John Anderson Drive and the sidewalks connecting to West Granada Boulevard along Beach Street, Bovard Avenue, Washington Street and Atlantic Avenue.
“This has been a frustrating project for me to watch,” Mayor Bill Partington said. “First off, I don’t think I really understood it. I thought it was like a complete replacement of the sidewalks, and it’s not. It’s strictly streetscape banding.”
Partington said he hated the fact this project was going to cost $2 million, but that he felt like going with A.M. Weigel was the right choice instead of going out to bid, as construction costs could keep rising.
A.M. Weigel is the one the city worked with to construct the mock-ups, located along North Washington Street by the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce building.
The city plans to bring a final bid to the commission in November. It anticipates the project would start in January 2022 and take six months.
The City Commission voted 3-2 to increase annual funding by 50% for the Ormond Memorial Art Museum; funding will increase from $48,640 to $72,960.
City Commissioner Troy Kent and Mayor Bill Partington voted against, as both stated concerns over the steep increase. The funding request was made because the renovations to the museum, which will add more square footage, are anticipated to incur additional costs to maintain insurance and operate the museum, according to city staff documents.
The City Commission unanimously approved a work authorization for GAI Consultants, Inc., to provide a conceptual planning and land use study of the former Riverbend Golf Course property.
The consultant will supply the city with options for the property, to cost $57,000. There will be opportunity for public input.
Both City Manager Joyce Shanahan and Randy Hayes earned high marks from the commissioners.
Hayes averaged 4.94 out of 5, and Shanahan averaged 4.93 out of 5.
