Fairview Crossing nears completion; Fairview Parkway construction and new substation plans draw council attention

Public Works and engineering staff updated the Town Council on April 1 about a series of right-of-way and capital projects, including near-completion work at Fairview Crossing and ongoing multi-phase construction on Fairview Parkway.

Fairview Crossing: Contractors have laid base and asphalt on most segments and the remaining work is primarily striping and traffic-signal reprogramming. Staff said an existing utility pole that blocked completion has been removed and that the contractor (Centicola) will finish striping and punch-list items before the intersection opens. A new left-turn lane northbound will be striped where the roadway meets the Highway 5 frontage.

Fairview Parkway and Ridgeview intersection: Work on the Parkway is roughly 30% complete (as of February reporting), with water and sewer largely installed, storm sewer more than halfway, and bridge abutments and columns in place. Staff described temporary crossings and described sequencing: storm sewer and headwalls, subgrade preparation and then paving for the Ridgeview segment; staff said they expect the Ridgeview intersection to be paved in the spring if weather and sequencing permit.

Testing and oversight: The town has a third-party geotechnical firm (Alliance Geotech) performing construction testing; public works said roughly $200,000 of testing was budgeted for the project. Staff said concrete and compaction test results were satisfactory.

Electrical service and proposed GCEC substation: Council heard that GCEC plans a new substation on the west side of U.S. 75 with feeder lines that would come to the Fairview Parkway area. GCEC told staff it intends to submit a right-of-way application in May or June; the utility’s preliminary approach would place some lines overhead between Latham and Ridgeview but underground along Fairview Parkway to Highway 5, subject to further negotiation and council input. Staff said they have asked GCEC to minimize overhead segments and would seek to push for underground service along Fairview Parkway, which council members said is a priority for the town.

Why it matters: The road projects are multimillion-dollar town infrastructure investments that affect traffic flow, property access and development timing. The substation routing, if overhead near Fairview Parkway, would affect long-range streetscape and property values; council members expressed a clear preference to minimize above-ground transmission along Fairview Parkway.

Next steps: Staff will continue construction oversight, coordinate signal reprogramming, and work with GCEC on routing and right-of-way permitting. Council asked staff to bring any formal GCEC submittal to council for review and to press for underground placement in the Parkway corridor when feasible.