Updated: 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, more details pinning down location.
After a thorough discussion, the City Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to award a contract of nearly half-a-million dollars to rebuild portions of the sound wall along South Broadway.
The council vote was 4-1 with Mayor Bob Simmons against. He said he was "not persuaded that it (the bid of $465,925) is a cost-appropriate response to the situation." He said he would have liked to see some evaluation of alternatives for the replacement of 700 to 900 linear feet of the 11-foot wall.
This is an area on the east side of South Broadway where concrete sections of sound wall alternate with wood to accommodate oak trees and their roots. Angled bracing boards keep the wooden wall from collapsing in places. The sound wall there protects Bishop Lane and Murwood Court residents from the noise of the whizzing cars on South Broadway Extension.
Council member Gary Skrel said the bid was more expensive than some because of a special design of pier-and-post construction to go around the roots and protect oak trees along the corridor.
Some portions of the current wall are tilting downward, said Council member Kristina Lawson.
There are neighbors whose yards back up to the wall who are "not happy with the city," said city Engineer Steve Waymire. The process of gathering comments and going to bid has been going on for a year.
The work has added expense, too, said Waymire, because in places the city right-of-way is only two feet, making for tight work and some hand digging.
