City eyes $1.5 million Elizabeth Street repairs

By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Saugatuck City Council Monday approved paying engineers Fleis & Vandenbrink $32,000 to assist with an estimated $1.5 million in Elizabeth Street improvement project over the next two years.
Work, as shown in the city’s capital improvements plan, will include addressing aging street and water utilities along 1,750 feet of Elizabeth between Allegan and Francis streets fronting Saugatuck Middle/High School as well as private homes.
A Nov. 13 site walkthrough by the city engineer and public works staff included recommending adding sidewalks in key areas. Due to the size of the project and potential overall impacts, they concluded extra planning was needed to seek input from all interested parties.
DPW superintendent Scott Herbert presented the proposal at last Wednesday’s council workshop, highlighting road resurfacing, sidewalk and storm sewer repairs, and planning for water main and sanitary sewer replacements, with an estimated project cost of $1.5 million for design and planning in the current fiscal year and phased work through 2028.
He emphasized the complexities involved with sidewalk routing, mature trees and elevation changes, leading to the recommendation of a more involved, community driven planning process similar to a previous successful project on Maple Street.
Discussion also addressed long-term financial planning, with council members urging the inclusion of financial projections to understand fiscal impacts amid other large city projects.
Suggestions included involving school representatives with their input and considering short-term road repairs if needed as the planning and bidding processes unfold.
Fleis principal and engineer Jonathan Moxey outlined a process that includes meeting with city staff, Kalamazoo Lake Sewer and Water Authority and Saugatuck Fire District representatives and other stakeholders to review the project background, scope, schedule and budget.
Engineers will obtain a topographic survey of the project area, including the road right-of-way and areas as to homes and other buildings to facilitate water service work.
Fleis will utilize the Miss Dig design ticket system to obtain private utility information for the area and incorporate it into the survey.
Engineers will conduct five soil borings 15 feet deep for the project, review KLSWA televising of the sanitary sewer and obtain televising of the storm sewer within the project limits.
Fleis will then again meet with city staff to review the conceptual layouts and cost estimates, plus coordinate a public information meeting/workshop/open house to solicit property owner concerns and review the project.
Once the scale and scope of individual project components are determined, engineers will present them to council to receive direction for formal direction for formal design engineering.