Fueled by grants from a variety of sources, Pacific approved approximately $4 million worth of road and sidewalk projects in 2012.
Some of those projects will be completed in 2013, officials said.
In one case, a Franklin County Transportation Committee grant will pay Pacific’s share of an 80-20 match to complete the project. In another, a soft match allows the city to use its own crew to complete part of the work.
Uncompleted subdivisions also got help last year as developers’ letters of credit were tapped to build new streets that could allow the subdivisions to be built out.
Aldermen also approved an agreement for the city to create safe streets by providing snow removal from private streets in uncompleted subdivisions.
Voters along East Osage will be asked to form a community improvement district (CID) to raise special sales tax revenue that can be used to help fund street improvements there.
A $988,000 federally funded project on Congress Street (Highway N) will include two lanes resurfaced with curbs and sidewalks from Hawthorne Subdivision to Fourth Street. The 80-20 grant for this project will bring $790,000 in federal funds through East-West Gateway with Pacific having to pay a $197,400 match.
A $826,000 federal grant will fund Old Gray Summit Road improvements (from LaMar Parkway to the city limits) including two lanes resurfaced and expanded to 12-foot lanes, curbs and gutters. In this 80-20 matching grant, federal funds total $661,190 with Pacific paying a $164,809 match.
In July, aldermen voted to take $164,983.20 from the escrow funds of the original Heritage Farms Subdivision developer’s letter of credit to build out Meadow Grass Drive. The action was taken after owners of undeveloped lots said they were ready to build new homes in the subdivision, but needed a road to get to the lots.
The 28-home subdivision on South Highway N is approximately half developed. Of the 19 undeveloped lots, there are 10 separate owners.
The city is negotiating with a developer in Westlakes subdivision to use escrow funds to build streets where undeveloped lots exist. Currently two new homes are under construction at the entrance to the subdivision.
A $1 million Surface Transportation (STP) grant will fund new sidewalks on East Osage from Seventh Street to Clear Creek Road. This 80-20 matching grant involves a soft match where the city can use its own force for a portion of its match.
The city will still ask property owners along East Osage to approve a community improvement district (CID) to collect special sales tax which will be used for improvements on both sides of Osage from McDonald’s to the Red Cedar Inn.
First Street and Fourth Street also will see some improvements from the CID sales tax revenue.
The week before Christmas, officials revealed the engineering for a $753,883 federal grant to improve North Thornton Road from Viaduct Street to Eagles View subdivision, which will be funded by an 80 percent federal grant with a 20 percent city of Pacific match. Part of the city’s 20 percent match will be covered by a grant received from the Franklin County Transportation Commission, according to City Engineer Dan Rahn.
The city will prepare bid specifications for this project within the coming weeks. Construction is expected to be completed by the summer.
