Infrastructure projects OKed

CITY COUNCIL

A handful of infrastructure projects with far-reaching effects will begin soon, after the San Marcos City Council approved contracts for work on the projects at its Tuesday night meeting.

As part of its consent agenda, the council approved an $8.2 million construction contract with Cox Commercial Construction for the Victory Gardens Neighborhood Improvements Project. The improvements, which have been in the design phase for some time, include redoing streets and drainage in the neighborhood which is bordered roughly by the railroad tracks, Guadalupe Street, Interstate 35 and Ellis Street. Improvements will also include additional traffic signals, sidewalks and three rain gardens.

Council also approved an engineering services contract to Maestas and Associates for the Guadalupe Street Improvement Project after a discussion of what the work will entail. The improvements will run from University Drive to Grove Street and will include striping plans to include two travel lanes, buffered bike lanes and parallel on street parking.

Mayor John Thomaides expressed concern about taking action before weighing all the city’s funding options.

“I’m just a little concerned that we might be investing $220,000 to design when I just don’t know if we know all of our options yet for that design,” he said.

However, the motion to award the contract passed 7-0.

Yet another contract under consideration was for engineering work for the Purgatory Creek project. After some discussion about making sure the public is notified and that meetings are held to gather public input, council awarded the $467,440 contract to Lockwood, Andrews and Newnam, Inc.

“This includes a lot of streets,” council member Melissa Derrick said. “It’s Mitchell, Jackman, Guadalupe, South LBJ, CM Allen, Comal, Cheatham, Edward Gary, Gravel Street, Patton — I may even be missing some. So how are you going to go about soliciting the public comments? Is it going to be citywide? Is it going to be for people in the vicinity of the project?”

Engineer John Espinoza said the city will work to reach out to the people who will be affected by the project.

“It’s my understanding that we will advertise for it,” he said. “We want to advise everybody. … There’s a lot of people that could be impacted.”

The project, meant to alleviate future flooding along Purgatory Creek from South Mitchell Avenue to the San Marcos River, will include bridge and culvert modifications or replacements, channel improvements, and the replacement of a wastewater main along Jackman from Valley to Gravel and along Gravel to Patton, then down Patton to the railroad. Sidewalk improvements on South Mitchell and Gravel are also part of the project.

Espinoza said the city will make sure to gather public input, comments and concerns about the project.

“We will try to do our best to advertise,” he said.

Council also approved a contract with Denbow Company for services to reroute runoff from residential areas to Coers Creek and contracts for work on the Bishop Street Improvements Project and the Staples Road Water Line Project.