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Residents, commissioners push engineering to start improvements on Railroad Street after years of deterioration
Summary
Resident and property owner Eric Gaines urged the commission to address hazardous road conditions on Railroad Street; engineering staff said short-term maintenance has been completed and outlined a longer-term project estimated at $1.5–$2 million to shift and stabilize the roadway.
Resident and property owner Eric Gaines urged commissioners to address long-standing infrastructure and safety problems on Railroad Street, citing hazardous road conditions, blocked storm drains, low-hanging wires and emergency-access concerns.
Gaines described Jersey barriers that limit access and showed photographs of erosion and clogged drains. Director Malik (engineering) and other staff said crews had performed short-term maintenance — clearing sediment and debris from a clogged inlet and vegetation trimming — but that the road’s edge has dropped 10–15 feet near the adjacent railroad yard and requires a capital project to stabilize and shift the roadway. Malik estimated constructing a retaining wall or shifting the roadway could cost roughly $1.5 million to $2 million and would likely require coordination with the railroad for work on the rail side.
Commissioners pressed for immediate actions as well as a long-term plan. Commissioner Pittenberg moved to direct the engineering department to initiate a road improvement project for the Railroad Street area, begin an analysis of property owners for possible blight notices, and clean storm drains. The motion — which added cleaning storm drains “as quickly as possible” — carried unanimously. Engineering staff said short-term fixes were already underway and that formal right-of-way and property-ownership analysis would be required for the full project.
