BACKGROUND
At its May 10, 2017 meeting, the City Council approved plans and specifications and authorized staff to call for bids for the Hillcrest & Crestmont Drainage Improvement project. The project will upsize the storm drain pipelines throughout the Hillcrest neighborhood as well as construct upgrades to the storm drain inlets, install curb ramps, and replace damaged sections of curb and gutter.
Within the Crestmont neighborhood, the planned improvements will install a diversion storm drain pipeline on Piedmont Way from Sheridan Ave to S. Cirby Way. This diversion will significantly reduce the flow down-system of Piedmont Way, allowing for increased capacity at impacted curb inlets.
The project has been advertised two times since council authorization. The first advertisement did not yield any bids and the subsequent advertisement (March 6, 2018 bid opening) yielded bids substantially higher than the funds available for the project. The engineer’s estimate and bids from the 2nd advertisement are as follows:
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Bid Results
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Engineer’s Estimate
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$3,100,000.00
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Preston Pipelines
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$5,990,000.00
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R.J. Gordon Construction, Inc.
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$8,369,327.00
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In response, staff performed a 3rd party constructability review of the project and it was concluded that the bids received for the work were reasonable in the current construction climate. As a result of the review's findings, staff determined that the project, as designed, could not be constructed.
Since the bid opening, staff has examined multiple options to reduce the cost of the project, while maintaining critical drainage components. Staff and the design engineer have modified the design so that portions of the existing storm drain system will remain operating in parallel with proposed new storm drain system. This allows the new storm drain pipes to be smaller and less expensive to purchase and install. Additionally, the plans will separate out smaller, less critical portions of the improvements so that they can be included as alternate bid items which will allow for their construction to occur based on the available budget.
An amendment to the Professional Design Services Agreement with Wood Rodgers, Inc. for these design modifications is on tonight’s (February 20, 2019) council agenda.
Staff anticipates returning to Council for approval of the revised plans, specifications, and authorization to re-advertise the project in March 2019. Construction is anticipated to begin in June 2019, with completion by November 2019.
PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: This past fall, an informational flier was mailed to the residents within the project area which explained the project's scope and status. The residents were also invited to a public meeting to discuss the project status and to understand the challenges encountered with awarding the project as designed. Staff discussed available budget and modifications required to allow the project to be constructed. Approximately 10 residents attended the meeting to discuss the project, all showing support and appreciation for the project. The meeting was also attended by a few residents wanting to discuss the condition of the pavement within the neighborhood. These questions were also able to be addressed by staff from the Street Maintenance Division in attendance at the meeting.
Prior to construction, staff will mail an informational flier to all residents within the project area informing them of the project, detailing what to expect, and providing the anticipated construction schedule. The flier will contain an invitation to a neighborhood meeting to discuss project specifics and give residents an opportunity to share any concerns. Additionally, staff will be working with the Public Works Marketing & Communications Analyst to disseminate the latest project information through the City's website and communication channels including, but not limited to, e-mail/text message notifications, social media, and earned news coverage.