Cotati council backs natural-surface repair for Laguna De Santa Rosa pathway

Cotati City Council members directed staff to proceed with design and bidding to replace a deteriorated asphalt section of the Laguna De Santa Rosa class 1 multiuse pathway with a compacted natural aggregate surface.

City engineering technician Henry Bavitz told the council the project zone is about 2,200 feet long and 8 to 10 feet wide, and noted the asphalt portion north of East Cotati Avenue is "in poor condition due to soil expansion and contraction, tree roots" and that repairs generally require specialty contractors. Bavitz said staff considered three options: repair the asphalt, replace it with a compacted natural aggregate, or build a wider, longitudinally split path; staff recommended the natural surface as the best long-term maintenance solution.

"The staff recommendation for this project is to replace the asphalt with natural material," Bavitz said. He listed advantages including lower long-term maintenance because city crews could perform upkeep without hiring specialized asphalt contractors, cooler surface temperatures than asphalt, and the potential to…