Decatur City Commission to consider cycle track change order
A rendering of the Church Street cycle track. Image obtained via the city of Decatur.
Decatur, GA — The Decatur City Commission will meet on Monday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. for a regular meeting. The meeting will be held in person at Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street, as well as Zoom.
During the regular meeting, the board will consider approving a $145,100 change order to the Church Street cycle track project.
To access the meeting, follow these instructions:
To view the agenda, click here.
“Public Comment” or “Requests and Petitions” portions of the meeting may attend the meeting in one of two ways:
1. Attend in-person by coming to Decatur City Hall, 509 N. McDonough St.
2. Register in advance at https://zoom.us/j/98216060547. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. You may also participate by phone by calling (929) 205-6099 and entering the meeting ID (The 11-digit number shown in the Zoom registration link.)
NOTE – This meeting will utilize virtual meeting technology. We cannot guarantee it will operate as planned. If your participation must be a matter of public record, attend the meeting in person or email your comments to City Manager Andrea Arnold at [email protected] by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 6th.
Members of the public may also view the live broadcast of the Decatur City Commission meeting at https://www.decaturga.com/citycommission/page/streaming-video
The cost increase is due to changes in the work and unanticipated conditions. The first change order increased the cost from about $2.7 million to $2.8 million, an increase of 5%. If approved, the second change order would increase the contract amount to about $3 million, Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon wrote in a memo.
The proposed changes will include planting 125 trees along the project corridor, demolition of hidden asphalt, relocation of a pedestrian signal and exposed aggregate in lieu of sod in narrow gaps, Saxon said.
The Georgia Department of Transportation is covering the majority of the project cost and the increase. The city’s share of the increased cost will be about $30,000.
Construction of the project started around Dec. 1, 2021, and the work is expected to be completed by June 2023.
The Decatur City Commission approved the project plans in May 2021. But the project began about 11 years ago. The city went through various rounds of funding options with the Georgia Department of Transportation. When the city had the plans completed about three years ago, it took them the remaining time to obtain all the necessary construction easements, Saxon said at the May 3, 2021, city commission meeting.
The bike and pedestrian improvements on Church Street will complete the final segment of dedicated bike travel lanes from the PATH Stone Mountain trail.
The on-street parking on Church Street won’t exist when the cycle track project is finished.
During the meeting, the city commission will also consider entering into an agreement with The Common Good Agency to develop a racial equity action plan. The total cost of the project is about $283,000. Initial funds of $40,000 are allocated in the current fiscal year 2021-2022 budget, and the balance will be funded over the next two fiscal years, Communications Manager Renae Madison wrote in a memo.
The plan is an action item in the city’s 2020 strategic plan.
“This plan will be developed in partnership with the Employee Equity & Inclusion Team in order to help the city operationalize racial equity and achieve its commitment to actively work against systemic racism and bias,” Madison wrote in the memo. “The Racial Equity Action Plan will support current and future racial equity goals and objectives and support initiatives outlined in the 2020 Strategic Plan, including creating a Decatur-specific Racial Equity Tool that will be used across multiple areas to prioritize equity in policy setting, programming and decision-making.”
Additionally, on the agenda, the board will discuss establishing a $410,000 project budget for planning services for the downtown master plan, establishing a $280,000 project budget and awarding a contract for the accessible and inclusive playground at Legacy Park, and establishing a $320,000 project budget and awarding a contract for sidewalk construction on Shadowmoor Drive and Hilldale Drive.
Editor Dan Whisenhunt and writer Cathi Harris contributed to this article.
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