By Moses Leos III.
“A good start” is how several residents of Bonita Vista described Buda’s reconstruction of subdivision streets at a public input meeting on Dec. 11.
In a 90-minute presentation plus question and answer session, City Engineer Stanley Fees, along with City Manager Kenneth Williams, discussed how the city will fix Casa Loma, El Secreto, Las Cruces and Bonita Vista streets.
Within the next week, Buda will advertise a request for qualifications (RFQ) for engineering and construction services. They hope to start construction in July 2014, completing it by February 2015.
The repairs in Bonita Vista, as shown here on El Secreto, will go from right-of-way to right-of -way, including drainage areas and curbs – something not done the first time. |
Buda first reconstructed those same streets in the Bonita Vista neighborhood in 2007 at a cost of a little more than $700,000. Six months after completion, large cracks began to surface.
Buda asked construction firm Austin Bridge and Road (ABR) to show “good faith” to repair the roads. They declined, forcing a lawsuit.
The city fought ABR in court, spending four years and $325,000 in litigation expenses. Buda claimed poor construction practices led to the failures.
“We didn’t think it was our fault,” Williams said at the meeting.
On March 15, a jury disagreed.
It ruled the city, along with its design firm, was at fault. They cited flawed design schematics, which did not take into account the unstable soil underneath Bonita Vista.
The budget for the second reconstruction: $2.9 million. That’s more than four times the earlier cost.
When asked about the lower initial construction cost, Fees said, “It was a decision back then to cut cost as much as possible.”
One portion of the current high cost is attributed to the pavement options under consideration. During the lawsuit, Fees said the city obtained geotechnical readouts of the unstable soil, the so-called “back dirt,” underneath Bonita Vista.
They used those read-outs to come up with a cross section for pavement options, all of which Fees said would work with the unstable soil.
Buda then went with the most expensive for budgeting purposes. In addition, when all calculated costs were added up, Buda added 20 percent to take into account inflation and contingency costs.
Fees said until a design firm is found, the city is unsure which pavement option will be used. Also in limbo is how deep down they plan to dig on the streets.
What is known is the scope of the project, which will go from right-of-way to right-of -way, including drainage areas and curbs – something not done the first time.
Fees said the project will go about three feet past the curb. Construction will also affect several residents’ driveways and mailboxes.
This brought concerns from residents.
One was John Hargett, who installed rebar into his driveway to account for the unstable soil.
Hargett said he understood the city’s intentions, but stressed the need to ensure driveways like his are “replaced to the same way as it was before.”
Another concern was the project length.
Denise Campbell and Kathy and Kent Broddrick, who live on Casa Loma Street, said in 2007, the city constructed the entire project en masse, instead of breaking it off into sections.
In addition, they did so without transportation considerations in mind.
Fees said the city would take that into account this time around, as the city will work on only one or two sections at a time.
However, he affirmed there could be some inconveniences.
“They will be able to get home, but there could be a period of time they will not get to their driveway,” he said. “[Residents] may have to park across the street.”
Fees also said the city would work with the design company to fix several drainage issues that plague the area. Buda would also talk with PEC to install more lights in the neighborhood.
The remaining concern among many residents: communication.
Previously, the city and residents were at odds over notification for the first phase of construction.
The concern still lingers, as residents say notification of the Dec. 11 meeting was not handled well.
Buda officials, however, said the city mailed notifications to Bonita Vista residents inside water bills. The city did not post any notification on its website or Facebook page.
Fees asked the public to give them several options on how they could fix the communication issue. He also said the city would place a link on its website, and the construction company’s website, providing an update on the project’s progress on a daily basis.
Residents were also concerned at how the city would update the project as it goes along.
Fees said the city will appoint a “construction manager” that will be a direct liaison to residents, tasked with providing regular updates. That person will be overseen by city staff, along with an inspector who will ensure the quality of product used in construction.
Residents want to see the lines of communication open.
“I do think keeping residents informed on what’s going on – every update, everyday – is what’s important,” Broddrick said. “To keep everyone informed.”
For one woman, who wished to remain anonymous, getting the project finally off the ground was a big concern. She said she thinks the plan is the best choice [the city] can make. She feels doing things correctly the first time around should eliminate any future issues.
